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28 March 2024

Code of conduct by Dubai school bus provider

Published
By Shuchita Kapur

School Transport Services LLC, one of the country's most popular school bus service providers, has issued a code of conduct for students using its buses.

In an e-mail sent out to parents, the company highlights the do’s and don’ts for children. “Students are expected to adhere to this Bus Behaviour Code. Let us work together to keep them safe and happy, while coming to and going home from school. Parents discussing these expectations with their child at home will be very helpful!” reads the e-mail.

On the must-do list, students are required to be kind; be safe; be respectful at all times; treat the school bus attendant and driver with the same respect as you would treat your teachers; remain seated on the designated seat and wear your seatbelts throughout the bus journey; sit facing forward in your seats at all times; keep the aisles and walkway clear at all times; report problems to the bus attendant and/or the bus driver; only travel on your designated bus; be ready and on time for departure and pickup; speak quietly with ‘inside voices’ throughout the bus journey and wait for the sign from the Bus Attendant to leave or enter the bus.

The must-not clauses include, throw objects of any kind on the bus; shout or be unkind verbally and/or physically towards others; damage the bus in any way (drawing on or putting feet up on the seats); bring friends onto the bus without written permission from the school; place anything outside the windows of the bus at any time and eat or drink on the bus.

The above are listed in a form which should be signed by the students after discussing with the parents.

Similarly, a circular has been issued for parents, stating that incase the child is returned to the school [if nobody is available to pick her/him up], the parents are required to pay Dh20/- per hour as a contribution towards the cost of STS providing adult care at the school to oversee the safety of our child.

“I think it’s the right move. The little ones learn all the bad things in the bus with many cases of bullying reported. I would say better safe than sorry. I wonder if this code of conduct will have any impact on use of bad language and bullying in the bus,” said a mother of a student in Jumeirah Public School, a Gems institution.