No children 'forgotten on buses': How UAE transport firm is ramping up student safety

As the new academic year kicks off, Emirates Transport – the UAE’s leading provider of school transport services – has doubled down on its commitment to student safety with advanced measures and a rigorous training programme for bus drivers and supervisors.

Among the key areas of focus have been “preventing students from being forgotten on the bus, implementing safe driving techniques, and preparing for emergency response and fire safety,” Adnan Mohammed Al Zarouni, operations director of school transportation in Dubai, Sharjah, and Northern Emirates at Emirates Transport, told Khaleej Times.

Emirates Transport operates a fleet of more than 9,500 buses transporting about 260,000 students across 620 educational institutions, including public, private, and charter schools, as well as various institutes. It has been offering regular training to all drivers and supervisors to keep them updated on the latest safety protocols and service improvements, ensuring they are equipped to maintain the highest standards of safety and service quality. Recently, a back-to-school awareness workshop was held in Abu Dhabi for drivers and supervisors.

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“Our training programme is a cornerstone of our commitment to safety and service excellence, meticulously designed and coordinated through the Emirates Transport Training Centre in Dubai in collaboration with our regional supervisors and Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) officers.”

The comprehensive programme, Al Zarouni noted, covers a range of topics to enhance safety and service quality.

“It includes detailed instruction on the roles and responsibilities of drivers and bus supervisors, handling and troubleshooting technical issues, and effectively using our safety systems and the HAFILATY app. Additionally, our training emphasises the importance of conducting thorough daily bus inspections.

Forgotten on bus

Asked about the instances of children being forgotten inside buses by supervisors’ carelessness, Al Zarouni stressed that “safety of students is a top priority” and steps have been taken to tackle this issue.

“We have taken significant steps to address the issue of students being forgotten on buses due to supervisor carelessness. To prevent such incidents, we have implemented targeted training programmes for both drivers and supervisors that stress the importance of thorough student counting and attendance checks at every stage of the transport process.”

Al Zarouni pointed out that school buses have been equipped with advanced safety systems designed to further safeguard against such occurrences.

“It includes a bus check button, an emergency button, and motion sensors that provide immediate alerts if a student is detected inside the bus after it has been parked. These technological measures are complemented by ongoing awareness efforts aimed at educating students about safety procedures and encouraging them to alert staff if they are left behind. Through these combined efforts of rigorous training, sophisticated safety systems, and proactive student awareness, we are committed to ensuring that our transport services remain safe and reliable.”

Traffic woes

Emirates Transport has conducted trial runs for buses before the start of the school year to mitigate and manage traffic congestion and ensure safe routes.

“This allows us to familiarise drivers with new routes and collaborate closely with police and traffic authorities across the Emirates to optimise safety,” Al Zarouni said and noted that intensive training during ‘School Transportation Week’ and rigorous maintenance – more than 60,000 operations annually – help to ensure a safe service.

“Additionally, we run awareness campaigns for students and parents to reinforce safe transportation practices. These measures collectively enhance the safety and reliability of our school transport services, ensuring that we address common challenges proactively and effectively.”

Emirates Transport takes feedback from drivers, supervisors, schools, and parents and incorporates their inputs to refine its services.

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