UAE: Adek outlines new requirements for school transport

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has outlined a number of requirements that private school buses must adhere to while transporting students to and from schools.

One of the important stipulations include fixing the time for a single trip to school or pupils’ home should at a maximum of 75 minutes - from the time the first student boards the bus until the last pupil gets off the bus. Another requirement states that school buses must be equipped with a surveillance system having at least four cameras.

In the Private Schools Policies Manual which was sent to schools, Adek stressed that the students should be transported safely and efficiently in accordance with the specific requirements of the government agencies concerned with transportation of school children.

The regulations call for providing pupils with safe and high-quality buses at reasonable transport charges, and selecting external transport operators through an open and competitive process, provided that they have a licence from the Department of Transport.

Under the transportation measures, schools and external transport companies must comply with the requirements of the Department of Transport and the Vehicles and Drivers Licensing Department related to transporting students to and from school.

Other school bus requirements include:

- School transport vehicles are not allowed to be used to transport passengers outside the school community.

- Schools must incorporate students’ school bus safety awareness within the curricula and extra-curricular activities.

- Schools should inform parents about school bus fees, transportation routes and timing for picking up or dropping the child.

- Schools must also hire a supervisor for each bus and inform the transport operators and parents about their names and contact numbers.

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