Education Ministry: Violations could bar students from school transport for a full year

RIYADH — Ahead of the beginning of the new academic year on Sunday, the Ministry of Education underlined the need for students adhering to safety and conduct rules while taking advantage of school transport services. The ministry clarified that violations of the rules of conduct may result in a student being temporarily suspended from school transportation services or being suspended for the entire academic year without any refund of the registration fees. The ministry made the clarifications when it started accepting applications from students for school transportation services. Education departments across the Saudi regions and governorates began accepting registration applications for school transportation services from male and female students across all three educational levels for the new academic year 1448 AH through the Noor electronic system. The ministry has exempted children of social security beneficiaries and students with disabilities from the annual transportation fee of SR200.The ministry emphasized the importance of students adhering to safety and conduct rules while using school buses. These include waiting in designated areas, boarding and disembarking in an orderly manner, sitting in assigned seats and wearing seatbelts, following the driver’s instructions, and refraining from extending their heads, hands, or any other part of their bodies through windows or doors or bringing dangerous items onto the bus. The ministry also stressed the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the bus, its facilities, and the property of others. Students were instructed to immediately inform the driver if the bus was being used improperly or if a designated stop had been missed. They were also required to ensure that the bus had come to a complete stop before getting down and not to cross the road in front of the bus. Instead, students should wait until the bus has moved away and ensure that the road is clear before crossing. In the event of emergencies or accidents, students are required to follow the driver’s instructions, use the emergency exits, and evacuate the bus calmly and in an orderly manner.The ministry also stressed that parents must not board the buses and should submit complaints to the school’s transportation supervisor or through the toll-free number of the Educational Transportation Development Company. Parents were further instructed not to interfere with the bus routes designated by the company.