School bus drivers are required to check their vehicles every day and make stops only in safe areas.
Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior, through the Federal Traffic Council, has launched its fourth quarterly road safety campaign of 2026 under the slogan “Safe Road for Our Students,” aimed at enhancing safety during students’ journeys to and from school.
The campaign targets students, parents, school bus drivers and supervisors, highlighting safe practices on school buses, proper boarding and disembarking procedures, and essential precautions when travelling near schools and residential areas.
The campaign materials are available in Arabic, English and Urdu, with key safety messages also being disseminated across Facebook, X and Instagram. The initiative is supported by a coordinated media plan developed in collaboration with strategic partners and relevant traffic safety authorities.Students are advised to reach their bus stops at least five minutes before the scheduled pickup time, remain calm throughout the journey and avoid distracting the driver. After getting off the bus, students should move at least 10 steps away to ensure they remain visible to the driver.
Bus supervisors are tasked with assisting students while boarding and disembarking, recording absences, informing school authorities and monitoring students’ behaviour throughout the journey.
Parents are encouraged to accompany children to bus stops and arrange for an authorised adult to receive them when they get off the bus or at the school gate. Schools are also urged to provide safe areas for boarding and disembarking and maintain regular communication with parents.
School bus drivers must inspect their vehicles daily, stop only at safe locations and remain stationary until students have completed boarding or disembarking. In coordination with supervisors, drivers must ensure students are properly seated and wearing seat belts, and activate the bus’s “Stop” sign whenever students are boarding or leaving.
Motorists approaching a school bus from either direction are required to come to a complete stop when the “Stop” sign is activated.
Under Article 91, motorists who fail to stop face a fine of AED1,000 and 10 traffic points. Meanwhile, Article 90 stipulates a fine of AED500 and six traffic points for school bus drivers who fail to activate the “Stop” sign.
