School bus drivers must be certified

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Abu Dhabi: School bus drivers and supervisors in the emirate of Abu Dhabi must now be certified before taking on their roles with school transportation service providers, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) announced in a statement on Tuesday.

Under the conformity scheme launched by the emirate’s quality infrastructure regulator, the QCC, these transportation personnel must undergo a five-stage process that includes training, testing, accreditation, licensing and continued monitoring.

The specifications were developed in collaboration with the emirate’s transport sector regulator, the Department of Transport (DoT), education sector regulator, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), Abu Dhabi Police, and the Child Protection Centre at the UAE Ministry of Interior.

Safety in school transportation has been a matter of concern since four-year-old pupil Nizaha Aala’a died in the capital after being left locked in her school bus last October. This occurred despite a DoT-led initiative ongoing at the time to revamp all school buses in the emirate and enhance their safety and comfort standards.

Following the tragedy, the school bus driver and bus attendant were some of the parties found to have been negligent in ensuring the safety of the pupils under their charge. Both are currently serving jail sentences.

In this regard, the new QCC scheme will offer training that is designed to help transportation personnel fulfil their roles adequately. This includes ensuring that vehicles are routinely inspected before and after daily trips, and having sufficient knowledge of how to use all machinery and tools on the vehicle. Drivers will be asked to make sure that they are physically fit, and will be taught to act appropriately during emergencies or situations that require urgent evacuation. Traffic regulations, especially during difficult weather and road conditions, will be reviewed. In addition, drivers and supervisors will be trained to behave appropriately with the children under their care, communicate effectively with parents, dress in appropriate attire and maintain personal hygiene.

A QCC trustmark will be issued and licences granted to individuals who complete the training and pass formal tests at accredited centres.

“We have [already] certified a total of 416 drivers and supervisors out of a potential 456 applicants. And we will continue to work with relevant entities to ensure that school transportation companies adopt these safety standards on a mandatory basis,” said Mohammed Al Beloushi, director of marketing and communications at the QCC.

He added that the certification is part of the QCC’s efforts to enhance the quality of school transport in the emirate.

By Samihah Zaman Staff Reporter