Muscat: To ensure fool-proof security in school buses, Mwasalat is planning to introduce “solutions” that will keep a tab on students boarding and leaving the bus.
Read here: School bus death of toddler in Oman
Mwasalat currently manages around 212 school buses for the Ministry of Education, 35 buses for a private school and 85 buses from universities.
Dismissing claims that the bus, where a toddler died on Sunday belonged to Mwasalat, Ahmad bin Ali Al Bulushi, chief executive officer of Mwasalat, said all its school buses have safety precautions in place.
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“A button is located in the back of the Mwasalat school buses to ensure no child is left behind in the bus. The driver can switch off the engine of the bus only after that button is switched off manually after inspecting the bus,” he told the Times of Oman on Monday. The buses are also equipped with technology, which monitors the movement of the bus and its drivers.
His comments came after a toddler died and after the driver forgot to drop him at the school in Seeb.
Regarding the new technology, Bulushi said right now they are studying the solutions that will help keep a tab on the students. “There will be a card reader at the gate of the buses and each student will have their own card, which they need to swipe, to get entry or leave the school buses.
“But to enforce this, a lot of efforts are required and we have to keep in mind what will happen if someone loses his card,” he said.