Over 10,200 school buses got back on the road in the UAE on Monday. This meant that the students could put an end to the online learning that lasted for several weeks and return to their schools on a full-time basis.
Emirates Transport is in charge of these buses, which now transport pupils to approximately 630 public and private schools nationwide, serving more than 285,000 students. On Monday morning, the buses left their stations even before the sun came up following and took special routes to ensure that everyone got to school on time and safely.
Students attend schools again because the Ministry of Education in collaboration with other relevant bodies have determined that students should receive education physically at schools. Emirates Transport immediately mobilized all its staff, both operational and administrative, upon this decision. They made sure that there was smooth functioning without any glitches.
Officials said that this big effort involved over 10,000 trained drivers and about the same number of supervisors on the buses. These supervisors ensure that the students enter and leave the bus safely. They ensure that all trips are well coordinated and safe to take.
Even as the students continued their lessons at their homes, the work towards getting the buses moving again was taking place. There is continuous preparation for putting the buses back on the road even as the students continue with home-based learning; the bus fleet is always ready, and regular maintenance and technical examination of the fleet are done at more than 23 authorized service centers. Besides, all staffs working remotely received extensive training to ensure they could resume their work at a moment’s notice.
The people in charge stressed that it was important to have elaborate backup plans for everything to work out well. They reviewed all the bus routes, timings, and safety regulations to meet present requirements. The whole planning scheme was to ensure minimal hindrance to the students returning to school.
Working together was also an important factor. Emirates Transport, the schools, and government offices all coordinated which helped to keep the stability of things as the schools reopened.
Now that the buses are running again, Emirates Transport has made a commitment to monitor the situation closely and to take into consideration the feedback given by both parents and schools. If needed, they’ll make adjustments to the routes, pick-up points, and timings. A dedicated call center is established to answer parents’ questions and address emerging challenges promptly.
The sight of so many school buses again seems like a big step towards normalcy as the students of the UAE get used to their routines once again.
