School buses to be safe as houses – but who pays?

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Uncertainty about who will shoulder the costs of the RTA's school bus safety regulations is causing confusion for the school community.

Many private schools' plans to outsource student transport have come under fire in recent months from parents, who worry about ambiguous safety standards and increased costs. Through these new regulations, spelled out in the School Transport Manual, the RTA hopes to allay parents' fears and set a new benchmark for school bus safety in the UAE and the region.

The CEO of RTA, Essa Al Dossari, said the authority was "seeking to ensure safe and smooth mobility to all students of Dubai. Our objectives will be achieved by implementing effective standards of services, licensing, maintenance and safety systems," he added.

Balakrishna Gopinath, business development manager at Bright Bus Transport, which provides student transport for GEMS schools, welcomed the move. "There is no short cut to safety," he said, adding that many of the buses GEMS uses have trained drivers, seat belts, and are to be equipped with GPS systems.

"But whenever we have to improve standards and quality," he added, "there will be a cost."

The exact cost of upgrading buses to meet the new standards, however, are still unclear. Gopinath predicts that adherence to the regulations may double the cost of buses. "Existing vehicles can be upgraded to a certain extent," he said, "but for Leyland or Tata buses, reengineering might not be possible."

Putting a precise figure on the cost of the upgrades now is impossible, as he does not know of the suppliers who will be able to carry them out.

The uncertainty has been further roused by rumours of a new law which will fix or cap school fees. Speaking to Gulf News under condition of anonymity, an RTA official has said that parents will not be expected to pay for the upgrade of buses.

The tabloid Xpress has also quoted RTA's CEO as saying, "why should parents pay? Schools should cut their profit margins." The RTA, however, could not confirm the comment when contacted.

The authority's six month deadline for schools to implement the regulations could cause added difficulty. "We have 600 buses," Gopinath said, "and each will take nearly three days to upgrade."

Luckily, the authority will show some flexibility with companies making clear efforts to adhere to the new regulations. "We are working together with the RTA," said Gopinath. "Time will not be a constraint, because we both have the same agenda." Specific safety regulations include banning all foldable seats, and painting buses yellow. Buses manufactured after 2008 must also have emergency exits.

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