SAFE RIDES TOP PRIORITY FOR STUDENTS

With the start of the new academic year, the Royal Oman Police has released a film titled 'Our Priority is Your Safety' to highlight the importance of student safety. Ensuring safe school transportation is a shared responsibility between families, schools and transport providers.

For many parents, the first days of school - especially for students in grades 1 to 4 - are often challenging until children become familiar with bus routines.

Parents must play their part by teaching children bus rules and stressing the importance of following driver instructions. Schools, in turn, are urged to organise awareness programmes, safety campaigns and evacuation drills to instil correct behaviour. Coordinating with transport authorities and ensuring buses comply with standards is critical.

A safe school journey also depends on strict adherence to safety rules by drivers and bus operators.

This includes using side lights when stopping, ensuring doors are closed before moving, stopping only at safe points and clearing buses of students before departure. Owners are required to sign off on safety checks and follow up on compliance daily.

Hundreds of buses across Oman operate daily, linking homes and schools. But challenges persist: a shortage of buses, overcrowding, lack of specialised driver training and air-conditioning issues during extreme heat. These factors heighten safety concerns and demand urgent solutions.

Despite difficulties, many drivers work hard to create a welcoming atmosphere, helping to manage student behaviour and making journeys more enjoyable.

Schools also bear responsibility for instilling discipline by demonstrating practical boarding instructions and providing drivers with workshops on safety measures.

Recognising the importance of safe student transport, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology is upgrading bus fleets with GPS tracking, cameras and monitoring systems to ensure driver compliance. It is also rolling out training programmes focusing on safe driving practices and emergency preparedness.

With modern equipment, trained staff and community awareness, school buses can evolve from simple transport to safe, trusted and comfortable extensions of the classroom - giving parents greater confidence in the education system.