Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) conducted site visits in several schools across Dubai to ensure that school buses are following the approved standards and guidelines laid down by RTA. Site visits were also done to confirm that school administrations uphold the safety and security guidelines for transporting students of various age groups to and from their homes.
RTA conducts these visits at the start of the new academic year since this allows them to assess operators' commitment to the stipulations governing this vital transport activity. There are certain things that RTA looks for during the inspection, bus safety and security specifications, permits of bus drivers and attendants along with their compliance with their tasks, and the cleanliness of the school buses.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Passengers Transport Activities Monitoring Department at RTA’s Public Transport Agency started its inspections based on the analysis of schools with the lowest compliance records from the 2021-2022 academic year using the innovative inspection system.
As per the standard guidelines, buses should not exceed a speed of 80 km per hour and must have a speed control device that meets the conditions and specifications set by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology. Besides this, RTA has issued a guiding manual detailing the specifications of school buses. The manual addresses the appearance of the school bus and mandatory safety and security features. It defines responsibilities for school administrations, institutions, supervisors, school bus-operating companies, drivers, students, and their parents.