Dubai: Strict precautionary measures were followed for school buses in Dubai at the start of the new academic term, school transport service operator Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) assured on Thursday.

“The DTC (under the Roads and Transport Authority), is making exceptional efforts to keep pace with the local and global trends of protection against COVID-19. These measures stem from our keenness to ensure the safety of students commuting between their homes and schools. These measures also boost the confidence of parents in the school transport service provided to their children,” said Marwan Al Zarooni, director of Operations and Commercial Affairs at DTC, RTA.

Al Zarooni said the preventive measures being implemented include regular bus disinfection and limiting capacity to only 50 per cent. Bus assistants also check students’ temperature before they board the bus. He noted: “About 3,000 are registered in the school transport service, where more than 175 dedicated buses are deployed. A total of 22 schools in Dubai serviced by DTC’s premium school transport service. The success of the service is attributed to the fine selection and training of 350 drivers of our smart buses. They are supported by 117 trained assistants to deal with the students.”

Al Zarooni added that the bus assistants were trained to handle emergencies and certified in the delivery of first aid, by Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services.

According to Al Zarooni, school buses are fitted with smart technologies to ensure safety and security. “These systems include surveillance cameras, sensors, an emergency button for communicating with the control centre, and GIS-powered tracking system for both students and buses as well as Vehicle Identification Pass (ViP) through Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Buses are also fitted with engine self-extinguishing system,” he further said.