Source: www.rta.ae
Roads and Transport Authority – Nashwan Attaa’ee: The Public Transport Agency, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), called upon schools administrations in the Emirate of Dubai to abide by the provisions of the School Transport Law to ensure the safety and security for students of all age groups in keeping with RTA’s vision of providing Safe and Smooth Transport for All.
Meanwhile and in order to optimize the application of the School Transport Law, the work teams from Franchising & Enforcement Department, Public Transport Agency reported that (1887) offences of different types were reported against (224) schools (78 public and 146 private schools) as they were found in breach of the provisions of School Transport Law in the Emirate of Dubai.
Offences were reported following an inspection campaign carried out by the teams of the Department in 2011, while in January this year (387) offences were issued against (63) schools.
Furat Ali Al Aamri, Director of Franchising & Enforcement, Public Transport Agency, said that offences issued by the Agency were due to the non-compliance on the part of school bus drivers with the rules stipulated in the School Transport Law applicable in the Emirate of Dubai issued in 2008. Such offences gave rise to a state of chaos and indifference by school administrations, school transport operators and school bus drivers.
“Offences made are restricted to (11) out of (13) articles led by buses non-compliant with the exterior bus specifications (514 offences), followed by offences of unlicensed school bus drivers, or a driver with expired permit (350 offences), offending the safety specifications (326 offences), schools and bus operators flouting laws prescribed in the Order & its Executive Regulation (236 offences), failure to operate the school bus electronic rod while picking up/dropping off students (222 offences), offences related to the interior bus specifications and safety standards (76 offences), failure to remove/cover the “School Bus” plate when operating the bus in other than school transport activities (62 offences), operating the school buses without permits (39 offences), drivers’ flouting their responsibilities as provided for in the Order or its Executive Regulation (30 offences), offences pertaining to failure of exhibiting the school bus permit in the designated place (19 offences), and driving school buses with expired permit (13 offences),” elaborated the Director of Franchising & Enforcement.
However, (2) articles remain unbroken, they are: failing to show the driver’s permit to the law enforcement officer, and operating the electronic stoppage rod when using the school bus in other than school transport activities.
The Director of Franchising and Enforcement stressed RTA’s keen interest and relentless endeavours to follow up the application of School Transport Law by schools, school transport operators, and school bus drivers as this sector plays an important and decisive role in the life of a broad spectrum of students of different age groups.
