The Emirates has unveiled new smart school buses to ensure student safety
Dubai Police showcased new and advanced school buses with various modern technologies that would be distributed throughout the Emirati city for the upcoming academic year, serving approximately 25,000 children.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation operates this modern school bus, which includes various smart features such as cameras and surveillance systems to ensure that no child is left on board at the conclusion of the journey and to track student movement while in transit. The bus features an alert system that communicates directly with the control center in the event of an emergency.
Read: The Emirates increases school bus fees.
smart school buses in uae
The buses also have GPS tracking and an automatic fire suppression system. Using unique tags, the radio-frequency identification system allows for electronic monitoring of students on board.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation's Director of Fleet Operations, Ammar Al-Buraiki, stated that the company has invested in modern technology for its school buses "to provide a safe and secure transportation environment for students during the school year."
Read: Dubai Police imposes a fine of 50,000 dirhams for crossing a red light.
According to Al-Buraiki, the Authority is eager to improve bus drivers' and attendants' safety and responsibility by enrolling them in additional training courses.
"The Dubai Taxi Corporation also conducts training on how to deal with emergency situations and first aid," Al-Buraiki explained, "to ensure that the team is ready and able to deal with any emergency situations that may arise during the school transportation process."
The UAE is committed to promoting road safety, recently declaring an amnesty for black spots on the first day of school for cautious drivers.
School buses in Abu Dhabi are also outfitted with special cameras that detect drivers who fail to stop when instructed to do so by the vehicle's retractable stop sign, which is utilized when students disembark. Drivers that fail to stop will be fined 1,000 dirhams and will receive 10 black points.
School bus safety accidents are rare in Dubai, with the most recent documented occurrence coming in 2019, when two persons were critically hurt and more than a dozen pupils were injured in a significant accident involving a school bus and a vehicle.
Following the collision, 15 children, as well as the bus driver and bus supervisor, were brought to Rashid Hospital for treatment.
According to the hospital, 14 pupils were discharged after being treated for minor injuries, while one youngster required additional medical attention.
The driver and supervisor were seriously injured, and the hospital claimed they needed "medical intervention."
