While the safety and well-being of UAE students are a top priority, the welfare of those who care for and transport them to school daily is equally important.
When students enjoy a two-month break during the long summer vacation, school bus drivers employed by transportation companies also have the opportunity to take a break, allowing them to unwind for at least 30 days each year.
However, some contract drivers may take seasonal jobs, such as driving for summer camps, tour buses, or public transportation, to supplement their income. For others, the summer break is a chance to relax, travel back to their home countries, and spend time with family.
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‘Encouraged to go home annually’
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Steve Burnell, managing director of School Transport Services (STS) group, said, “I can’t speak for how other employers employ, but when we recruit our people, whether that’s our drivers, our bus guardians, technicians, admin staff, managers, they’re employed full time. We pay their salaries 12 months a year and are given 30-day leave each year. We encourage our school bus drivers to go home annually, so they get a yearly flight allowance, not every two years.
“We’ve got all our employees from overseas. So they need to rest and recuperate. When the schools are closed during short breaks, they also get back to some of the training that they need to do,” he added.
Like everyone else, these drivers are entitled to national holidays and are eligible for overtime if they are required to work on public holidays.
Most bus transportation companies offer a broad spectrum of transport and technical services, not only for education but even for corporate business sectors, employing their staff elsewhere intermittently during holidays.
“Some staff are also a part of the metro staff transfer that services 365 days a year. During national holidays, the metro is still running so they get paid half salary for that,” he added.
Logistical challenges
Even if schools remain closed for nearly two months, Burnell highlighted there are certain logistical challenges.
“Let’s say if 70 per cent of our employees want to go on vacation in an eight-week window, they all can’t leave on the same day. They stagger. Meanwhile, they may have to undergo some training programmes.
“We’ve actually been in difficult positions before when we’ve had floods in Pakistan and in South India. So, you can imagine how nervous we were three weeks before schools started when they were out of the country,” he added.
Being updated on regulations, protocols
Burnell explained when drivers return, they resume their professional development or safety training sessions to stay updated on regulations and protocols.
“Many drivers may be testing these new schools and routes. Preparation involves a 30-day window for operations, while the remaining 30 days are dedicated to recruitment, onboarding, training, and the return of drivers from leave.”
School bus drivers are also required to complete refresher training, including mandatory annual safeguarding training. “This safeguarding training is crucial, as it’s not just about following rules for the sake of it. It’s a code of conduct in terms of their interaction with students. There are things that you do not do,” he added.
These trainings often entail rules around social media engagement or physical contact with students.
Drivers are trained to understand that any physical interaction needs to be within the bounds of professionalism and guided by clear protocols to prevent any inappropriate conduct.
Burnell added, “In a potential incident if a driver was to put his arm out to stop a student tripping over, then that’s understandable. Therefore, we need to make sure that we’ve got the right background checks done and have the right level of person who is competent to drive the bus. Besides, our Bus Guardians are phenomenal. That’s why we call them bus guardians, not nannies or conductors. They assist every child with boarding on a daily basis, ensuring seat belts are fastened, help with de-boarding, and hand over the student to the designated adult.”