Schools in the UAE are all set to restart from August 30. Keeping in mind the need to ensure the safety of students as they return back to classes in the coming weeks, the UAE's education authorities have announced various guidelines for students and parents to follow. To ensure safety and precaution in school buses, students have been compulsorily asked to wear face masks and follow social distancing protocols during their travel to and from the school. In addition, temperature checks will be carried out for every student and other staff members.

Responding to the development, School Transport Services, one of the UAE’s largest school transport companies, has also affirmed that it will sanitise the buses before and after each journey and will follow all necessary safety precautions for the protection of the students as they are preparing to return to the schools.

With a fleet of more than 2,500 buses in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai, the company provides transportation services to more than 80,000 pupils every day during a regular academic year.

Stating that the company has a renewed focus on the safety of its operations, STS Managing Director Steve Burnell revealed that they have added a comprehensive list of COVID-19 related safety requirements for all their student school bus services.

"The new protocols are in line with the relevant authorities’ requirements to ensure the safety of our pupils, buses, drivers, bus guardians, and our entire fleet operation. We make sure that all of our people are well trained and familiar with the new situation and the latest safety protocols," Burnell said.

He confirmed that all new measures would make sure that buses

He said the new measures would ensure the buses would become the safest way to travel to and from school for the students.

Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of Road Safety UAE, welcomed the new safety measures as students prepare themselves to return to the classroom for the first time since March when the schools had to be closed in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

"Coronavirus has brought a lot of change to society and certainly parents want to have the extra reassurance that their children are being transported in the safest way there is,” he said.

With students expected to return to the school campuses in the coming days, education authorities in the country has designed extensive plans for the upcoming school semester to ensure public health and safety amid the prevailing fear from COVID-19 virus.