School buses in UAE to have tracking system, smart alert systems and remote cameras

UAE school buses will have to upgrade their safety requirements and install remote tracking, smart alert system, cameras and fire extinguishers among others, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) has announced.
The five new safety upgrades are in line with the decision passed by the federal Cabinet on Sunday. "As per the decision, school buses should install technical equipment so that schools, supervisors, drivers and traffic controllers can manage the buses and students to improve safety, said Abdulla Abdelqader Al Maeeni, ESMA director general.
As per the new safety requirements, buses should have a smart alert system that uses artificial intelligence to alert drivers and supervisors if students are left behind in the bus, ESMA said in a press statement.
The new safety standards also require school buses to provide a safety system for fuel tanks and protect it with a solid metal cover. It is also mandatory to provide the bus with cameras for recording and monitoring the movement of other vehicles on roads.
School buses should also have fire extinguishers according to the size of the bus (medium or large), have a first aid box in a clear location.
A speed limiter is also mandatory to limit the maximum speed of the bus to not exceed 80 km / hour in order to ensure the safety of students.
The school bus window should not be allowed to open for more than 20 cm horizontally or vertically, and should have a manual mechanism to control the opening of doors from outside in emergency situations. Conditions are also spelt out regarding the specific materials to be used to in the making of the windows.
Al Maeeni said the safety upgrades is part of the continuous modernization process for systems, standards and technical regulations in order to raise safety levels to international standards.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com 

Anjana Sankar

anjana@khaleejtimes.com