Friday: September 16, 2011:
No accidents and traffic normal in first week after school reopening: Abu Dhabi Police
The Abu Dhabi Police have confirmed that the internal and external roads across the emirate were free of traffic accidents in the week after the schools reopened after the summer vacation.
In Abu Dhabi, Lt-Colonel Jamal Salem Al Ameri, Head of the Public Relations Division of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, said the road traffic was moving in a normal way without any congestion.
Patrolling was stepped up in different areas and more patrol cars were dispatched to junctions and near schools to maintain safety of both students and those visiting the schools. The Traffic and Patrol Directorate had drawn up a comprehensive plan for the back-to-school days by intensifying patrolling and enlightening school bus supervisors and drivers about road safety and practices to be followed to avoid accidents. Lt-Col Al Ameri urged parents to arrive at schools early to drop or collect their kids, abide by the speed limit and take alternative routes to avoid traffic jam that might occur on the main roads.
For external roads, no accident was reported last week, according to Major Mohsen Bakheet Al Menhali, Acting Director of the police’s External Areas Traffic Department. He attributed that to the efforts made by the Department in securing traffic safety of students, as part of the current campaign themed “together to protect our youngsters from accidents”.
The department has intensified patrolling and more cars were dispatched to junctions and near schools and at entries and exits of residential areas, he added.
In the city of Al Ain, the traffic and patrols section has conducted an awareness campaign for around 650 school bus supervisors of both sexes. It focused on promoting road safety and ensuring safe transportation of students.
According to First Lit Hamdan Hassan Dhiban, deputy head of public relations division of the Al Ain Traffic and Patrols Section, bus supervisors have been offered various sessions to achieve traffic safety and rescue traffic accidents.
He appealed to motorists to slow down near schools, intersections and residential area, and also called upon school bus drivers to abide by traffic safety standards for transporting students especially young ones.