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UAE: Parents confident using school buses as kids return to in-person classes

Dubai - Parents have said that they are confident to let their children use the service during the upcoming semester.

The UAE's Covid-19 vaccination drive has started creating a positive impact on school bus ridership for the new term.

This also comes after the UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention on Monday announced the approval of the emergency registration of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for children.

It is also after extensive clinical trials and evaluations were conducted and is based on the emergency use authorisation and local evaluations, which are in line with the approved regulations.

"The safety and well-being of students, employees, and everyone we engage with will always be our priority," said Steve Burnell, Managing Director of STS.

"Our proactive approach to employee health and everyone we engage with, combined with the vaccine programme, means that 100 per cent of eligible employees have received the vaccine in time for the start of the new term", he said.

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, STS worked closely with the education community and regulatory bodies by introducing the Back-to-the-Bus Safety Protocol.

This ensured that the highest safety and protection standards were in place to assure parents that the school bus is the safest form of getting to and from school every day. Whilst the number of students returning to school post-lockdown was low, those using the school bus increased monthly.

Combined with the successful vaccination drive at STS and in schools, these efforts have resulted in tremendous confidence amongst parents, who are now choosing the bus for their child's school attendance. Whilst each bus is currently restricted to 50 per cent seating capacity, students using school transport are rising and are three times what they were last year.

"The steady rise in bus ridership is an incredible achievement for all of us. Students returning to the school bus will have a positive impact on the environment and will reduce traffic congestion around school zones in the long run", opined Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of Road Safety UAE.

Another factor contributing to the steady rise in students choosing the fleet is that all buses are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies designed to keep them safe.

This has also been used for student contact tracing situations.

Chidambaram Gunaseelan, Head of IT at STS, said its "superior fatigue detection system is not affected by the presence of personal protective equipment such as face masks and face shields. STS has continued investing in these systems over the past 12 months through the Covid period."

Parents confident about using the school bus in the new semester

Meanwhile, ahead of the new academic year or new term, parents show renewed confidence in using the school bus.

Dubai resident Sindya Sundar, who is the mother of a five-year-old, says: "My son has been going in the bus the entire three terms and we have faced no challenges. Each child has been on a separate seat maintaining social distance and they all wear masks in the bus and there is no unnecessary communication between the children as there is someone who is watching over them all the time."

"It's been a safe experience for us and this year also I intend to put him on the bus. Besides, now with the Covid-19 vaccine approved for children over three it's a win-win situation for all."

Russian expat Liara Slavalova, who has a four-year-old son, says: "My son Maxim will start going in the school bus from the new academic year as I intend on getting back to work after my second maternity break. I feel the country at large and the school takes enough and more care to ensure that everyone here is safe. Besides, the fact that most of the children can and will get vaccinated gradually, is hugely comforting."

For working parents or children living in the neighbouring emirate but studying in Dubai, school transport continues to be the preferred mode of communication while adhering to safety protocols.

Sharjah resident Nausheen S. says: "School buses are easy to commute. As a family, we live in Sharjah, considering our work is based in the Emirate. However, my daughter studies in a Dubai school. It is practically impossible to drop and pick her up every day, and I certainly prefer her using the school bus."

"The school has ensured that the bus is well sanitised and follows all government protocols to maintain safety. I look forward to seeing my daughter getting back to her normal routine starting September."