How safe are kids in school buses? Tuesday, 05 October 2010 05:45

Every morning, I get up early to take my daughter to school. This has been my practice since my other two, older children were in KG 1 and Grade 1 because I like to spend quality time with my children. On the way to school, I enjoy chatting with my girl — as I did with her older siblings — asking her about school and her daily activities.

On the way from my daughter’s school to the office, I have often observed buses bringing children to school and how they do not always follow traffic rules and flout regulations when it comes to taking care of the children’s safety.

I wrote a column a few months ago addressed to the Minister of Interior urging him to set standards and procedures for certification of bus drivers for school buses after the tragic death of a pupil of an Indian school. I even sent a copy of the column and a letter to the Minister of Interior to ensure that he reads it and the message reaches him.

A committee was set up by the Minister of Education and Higher Education and the Secretary General of the Supreme Education Council to investigate the circumstances leading to the child’s death.

However, another school year has started and still there is no information as to the findings of the investigation and no action taken to ensure children’s safety in school buses.

Every day I see the same cavalier attitude — bus drivers taking children to and from school like they are in a race and driving rashly on the road. Last Thursday, a Karwa school bus collided with a pick-up in Mansoura injuring four people and damaging a parked SUV and a pharmacy. It was a good thing the bus was empty; there were no children inside at the time of the accident.

Looks like we haven’t learned anything from the tragic death last year of the little girl.

We know that due to road construction and the recent opening of schools there have been a lot of traffic jams and everybody is in a hurry to get to their destination. But should that be at the cost of putting our children’s lives at risk?

We bring the issue of the safety of school buses to the attention of the Minister of Interior, once again. We ask what counter-measures have been taken by the Ministry of Education, Traffic Department, Karwa and the school managements in order to ensure the safety of our children?

To avoid another accident from happening this school year, the organisations concerned and government agencies must take appropriate action. And soon.

It is our social responsibility to ensure the safety of our children.