RTA determines roles in school bussing

During the period, the Department is dedicated to prepare a comprehensive study of which the results will be re-operating the school buses after the expiry of the period of assessment.

Mohamed Obeid Al Mulla, CEO of the Public Transport Agency said that the Agency represented by the School Buses Department has always sought to provide the best and most innovative solutions to deliver distinguished services to transport the school students through modern buses driven by efficient and well-trained drivers in this domain through which they acquire skills and capabilities qualifying them to deal with students of various ages and to ensure their security and safety, which would undoubtedly support the drive of progress and growth witnessed by the UAE in various fields, including the field of education.

"In the adoption of this resolution, the Public Transport Agency relied on findings it had concluded after conducting a number of studies in this area where those studies dealt with several topics including the financial, social and statistical aspects, and the Agency is currently developing enacting legislations and laws that are necessary to determine specifications and conditions for the operation and leadership of school buses," Al Mulla added.

He explained that the new tasks and responsibilities the School Buses Department can be summarized to the practice of legislative and regulatory role in the field of school bussing so as to be able to provide the necessary support to this sector, as well as playing an economic role bound to strengthen the infrastructure of Dubai in the School Bussing through the effective participation in the development of advisory, legislative and regulatory services the Agency is providing to the schools, in addition to the preparation and development of a number of comprehensive strategic plans and identifying the targets of the performance indicators for all the activities, projects, events and initiatives launched in this regard and ensuring their implementations efficiently and effectively on time and within the framework of the vision, policies, regulations and legislation the RTA.

Among other tasks and responsibilities to be undertaken by the School Buses Department of the Public Transport Agency, Al Mulla reaffirmed that the Department would be practicing the preparation and implementation of policies and procedures relating to the legislative and regulatory services for schools, the planning and implementing of the necessary measures to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of school transportation services in Dubai, and setting the standards and technical specifications for the school buses and making sure that the operators abiding by the standards and specifications set by the Department, stipulating the conditions necessary for the operation of school buses, including the licenses for the operation of school buses and drivers, conducting constant and abrupt inspection tours at all school buses to ensure the commitment of operators to the laws and regulations of school transportation, and verifying and approving the consultants and external contractors in this area in coordination with the Department of Contracts and Procurement according to the procedures applicable in this aspect.

Al Mulla concluded by saying that the School Buses Department would also use and mobilize the human resources and other resources available to carry out such tasks, through communication and coordination with the support departments and other offices or the sub centers aiming to form teams dedicated to the projects related to the Department capable of accomplishing various tasks as effectively and efficiently as possible, representing the RTA in local, regional and international conferences and forums and the activities related to the work of the Department in accordance with the applicable instructions and regulations and when need arises, practicing the supervisory and regulatory functions over the school buses through a number of standards, principles and of service and safety regulations, licensing and maintenance, the development of appropriate marketing strategies through the Marketing and Corporate Communication (MCC) in order to upgrade the services provided to school buses on purpose of increasing the student awareness regarding the Department work mechanism and the pattern of providing these services, in addition to tracking down the proposals, requests and complaints regarding the level of services provided by the Department, and handle and address them through taking the actions required in such cases.