Abu Dhabi is preparing for the return of 279,000 students, with around 10,000 school buses set to operate as the new academic year begins, while authorities introduce temporary traffic restrictions and reinforce rules governing school bus drivers.
The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) has announced that heavy vehicles and workers’ buses will be prohibited from entering Abu Dhabi Island between 6:30am and 9am, starting Monday and continuing until September 4. Logistics support vehicles and cleaning companies are exempt from the restriction.
The measures are part of Abu Dhabi’s preparations for the new school year, with the transport authority saying it has completed its readiness plans to improve student safety and support smoother school journeys.
Parents have also been encouraged to download the SALAMA Parent App as part of the arrangements for school transport.
What parents and motorists need to know
The return to school will put thousands of school buses onto Abu Dhabi’s roads, with 10,000 buses expected to transport 279,000 students.
For motorists, one of the most immediate changes will be the morning restriction on heavy vehicles and workers’ buses entering Abu Dhabi Island. The restriction applies specifically from 6:30am to 9am, meaning affected vehicles will need to plan their journeys outside those hours during the period covered by the measure.
Logistics support vehicles and cleaning companies are excluded from the restriction.
For parents, Abu Dhabi Mobility is urging families to use the SALAMA Parent App while the authority works to support safer and smoother school commutes.
The transport authority is responsible for regulating transportation in Abu Dhabi, including the emirate’s school bus sector, under the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
School bus drivers in Abu Dhabi need a valid permit
Abu Dhabi Mobility has reminded school bus operators that they are not allowed to hire or employ anyone as a school bus driver unless the individual has a valid School Bus Driver permit issued by the Department.
Obtaining the permit requires applicants to meet nine conditions, covering age, driving experience, background checks, language skills, training, identification documents, traffic records and medical fitness.
The requirements are intended to ensure that drivers responsible for transporting schoolchildren meet the required standards before they are permitted to operate school buses.
Nine requirements for Abu Dhabi school bus drivers
A driver applying for a School Bus Driver permit must meet the following requirements:
- Minimum age: The driver must be at least 25 years old.
- Driving experience: The applicant must hold a UAE-issued driving licence for at least one year before applying for the school bus driver permit.
- Good-conduct certificate: The driver must provide a certificate of good conduct. For residents, this must be issued by the Abu Dhabi Police General Command. Applicants from abroad must provide the equivalent certificate from their home country.
- Recent certification: The good-conduct certificate must be dated within one month of submitting the application and must be properly certified.
- Language proficiency: The driver must be proficient in Arabic or English.
- Mandatory training: The applicant must complete the training required by the Department for school bus drivers.
- Personal documents: The application must include copies of the driver’s passport, residence permit and Emirates ID card.
- Traffic record: The driver must provide a record of traffic violations from the unified traffic system.
- Medical fitness: The applicant must provide the required medical report confirming that they meet the health requirements for school bus drivers.
These requirements apply to drivers seeking the permit needed to transport students in Abu Dhabi.
Medical requirements cover 13 specified conditions
The medical assessment is a significant part of the school bus driver permit process.
A medical report must be provided every two years, confirming that the driver does not have any of the specified conditions that could affect their ability to safely perform their duties.
The medical requirements cover 13 specified conditions, including:
- Disability
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Epilepsy
- Mental diseases
- Neurological diseases
- Psychological diseases
- Kidney disease
- Hepatitis
- Leprosy
- Vision and visual impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Substance and alcohol addiction
- Acquired immunodeficiency
The authority also requires a medical examination after each vacation.
The health requirements are therefore not limited to the initial permit application, with drivers subject to continuing medical checks during their work.
How to renew a school bus driver permit
School bus driver permits must also be renewed in accordance with the authority’s requirements.
For a renewal application, the operator must submit the previous permit together with the renewal application.
The operator must also provide the driver’s record of traffic violations through the unified traffic system for the previous year.
If any of the driver’s official documents have been updated, copies of those documents must also be submitted. This can include an updated driving licence, passport, residency permit or Emirates ID card.
Keeping these records current is therefore part of the permit renewal process for school bus operators.
Abu Dhabi school bus drivers’ responsibilities
In addition to the permit requirements, Abu Dhabi Mobility has outlined 13 responsibilities for school bus drivers.
The rules cover what drivers must do before, during and after school journeys, as well as how they should manage situations when students are boarding, leaving the bus or crossing roads.
One of the key responsibilities is checking the bus at the final destination and ensuring that no student is left inside the vehicle.
Drivers must also ensure that students leave the bus only at their designated drop-off point, unless they have received written instructions from the school permitting the student to leave elsewhere.
Mobile phones, food and smoking are prohibited
Drivers are required to remain focused while operating the school bus.
They must not eat or drink while driving, and they are prohibited from using a mobile phone while driving.
Smoking is also prohibited inside the bus at all times.
These rules form part of the driver’s responsibilities while transporting students and are intended to ensure that drivers remain focused on the road and student safety.
School buses cannot exceed 100km/h
Speed is another specific responsibility for school bus drivers.
Drivers must comply with applicable speed limits, and the bus must never exceed 100km/h.
The requirement applies throughout school bus operations and forms part of the safety rules governing the transport of students.
Stop arms and hazard lights required when students cross
School bus drivers must also use the vehicle’s stop arm and hazard lights in specific situations involving students.
The signals must be activated when students are crossing roads and when they are boarding or getting off the bus at designated areas outside the school.
The requirement is designed to alert other road users that children are moving around the school bus and that vehicles approaching the area need to take additional care.
What parents should know before the new school year
For families using school transport, the new academic year brings a large-scale operation involving 10,000 school buses and 279,000 students.
Abu Dhabi Mobility says it has completed preparations to support student safety and smooth school commutes, while the SALAMA Parent App is being promoted as a tool for parents as school transport resumes.
Parents should also be aware that school bus operators are required to ensure their drivers hold the appropriate School Bus Driver permit and meet the authority’s requirements for training, documentation and medical fitness.
Drivers are subject to specific operating rules, including the prohibition on mobile phone use, eating and drinking while driving, the smoking ban, the 100km/h maximum speed, and requirements for using the stop arm and hazard lights when students are boarding, leaving the bus or crossing roads.
What motorists need to know about the Abu Dhabi Island restriction
The immediate traffic change for motorists is the restriction on heavy vehicles and workers’ buses entering Abu Dhabi Island between 6:30am and 9am.
The measure starts Monday and continues until September 4.
However, logistics support vehicles and cleaning companies are exempt.
Motorists operating affected vehicles should therefore account for the restricted morning period when planning trips into Abu Dhabi Island during the back-to-school period.
With thousands of school buses expected on Abu Dhabi’s roads each day, the traffic measure comes alongside the wider school transport preparations aimed at keeping student journeys safe and helping manage the morning commute.
Abu Dhabi school transport at a glance
- School buses: 10,000
- Students being transported: 279,000
- Heavy vehicle restriction: 6:30am to 9am
- Location affected: Abu Dhabi Island
- Restriction period: Monday until September 4
- Exemptions: Logistics support vehicles and cleaning companies
- Minimum school bus driver age: 25
- Minimum UAE driving licence history: One year
- Maximum school bus speed: 100km/h
- Driver medical report: Every two years, plus an examination after each vacation
- Parent tool: SALAMA Parent App
The measures come as Abu Dhabi gets ready for the new academic year, combining traffic controls with stricter school transport requirements as hundreds of thousands of students return to classrooms across the emirate.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
