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GateX Trading LLC
Together, let’s save a child’s life
Gear up for a safer journey
School buses in the UAE make the switch to secure student safety and comfort Farhana Chowdhury
U
nlike most countries across the world, transportation in the UAE is smooth, convenient, comfortable, and easily accessible. Roads, airspace and water bodies are all intricately networked to provide commuters with safe and reliable ways to reach preferred destinations. It also links business routes, contributing to its title of an ideal trade hub. Schools and universities are among those that make use of a range of transportation for their daily routine. The use of public transport to go to school is quite uncommon here and many par-
ents either take their kids to school themselves or expect the educational institution to take up the responsibility. Educational institutions usually have hundreds of students scattered all across the UAE. This naturally calls for buses or its mini counterparts to help gather them
while maintaining the school’s set timings. It is also necessary to have dependable rides that can take the students back to their accommodation. The size of transportation is selected depending on the number of people living in a certain area. Bus routes are equally distributed in such a way that students can easily board the bus from their doorsteps. Seatbelts, air-conditioners and of course, using the stop sign have gained high importance in every day life as road authorities have reported a number of accidents due to poor conduct, improper safety features, and one of the most evident but unno-
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Use the latest technology to provide fool-proof solutions to child safety in buses GateX Trading LLC recently announced its agreement for the exclusive distribution of Child Check-Mate System Inc. products in the UAE. The Child CheckMate System (CCMS) enhances children’s security by increasing safety in the school transportation industry. Although drivers are expected to check their vehicles for sleeping children, many sleeping children have been left behind, or exposed to extreme weather conditions. In many cases, this has resulted in injury or death. “CCMS forces the drivers to walk from the front to the rear of each vehicle after each route,” explains Arman Taghian, founder and CEO of GateX. “This actively reminds drivers to thoroughly search the vehicle for remaining passengers, packages or belongings.” GateX is a leader in innovation of advanced monitoring systems. At the RTA Conference and Exhibition, GateX showcased its RealTime Student Attendance System which reports the time and place of passenger pick-ups and dropoffs; a list of current students in each bus, as well as many other
unique reports and indices such as Instant Incident Investigator. GateX Attendance System is currently implemented on several school transportation providers’ fleets. “Naturally, CCMS is a great fit for our company,” said Arman Taghian, adding, “Our customers are constantly and proactively increasing the safety of their vehicles and passengers. We want to implement solutions like CCMS in a preventative manner, before incidents occur.” CCMS has sold around 250,000 systems in North America and is a standard in the industry. In many areas, the product is mandatory on all pupil transportation vehicles. Major school bus manufacturers in the US, which includes BlueBird, Thomas and IC, have even made the systems available on all new vehicles.
CCMS also monitors vehicles after school hours and can be integrated with existing GPS tracking systems to generate time-sensitive SMS or e-mail alerts. “This feature is very important in areas with extreme hot or cold climates because it allows fleet supervisors to react quickly when movement is detected after the vehicle has been turned off, and the driver has left,” said Gord Both, Co-founder and President of Child Check-Mate System Inc. “Hereby, I would like to sincerely thank RTA for this year’s School Transportation Conference and Exhibition,” said Taghian. “During the exhibition we have been able to meet industry leaders and clients and finalise the Child Check-Mate System’s order for the entire fleet of Fancy Transport LLC.”
School Transportation
khaleej times / ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
Swaidan Trading Co LLC
Transport of choice Adhering to the local safety requirements and specifications, the company is among the most reputed and recognised names in the bus segment
Michelin Tyres
Good tyres a must for safe school transport Michelin Tyres to contribute to school bus safety by offering school bus tyre checks CHILDREN’S safety when travelling to and from school must be a priority for everyone and Michelin has decided to incorporate school bus tyre checks as part of its school road safety initiative in the UAE. Launched earlier this year, Michelin’s road safety initiative, called the Michelin Man Academy aims to educate, entertain, and empower students to become road safety ambassadors for themselves and their families and friends. The programme has already reached more than 1,000 students, and Michelin is targeting at least 3,000 students by the end of the year. In addition, Michelin will offer participating schools tyre checks for their school buses to try to ensure that the children travel on safe tyres. When speaking of safety in school buses, the focus generally falls on driver training and seat belts in the bus, but tyres on the buses must not be forgotten. “Well-maintained tyres are a critical component for safety in any vehicle and must be an absolute priority for school buses,” said Franck Barge, Commercial
Well maintained tyres are a critical component for safety in any vehicle and must be an absolute priority for school buses Franck Barge
Director for Michelin in the UAE and Oman. “Tyres that are overinflated are more sensitive to cutting and tearing, while tyres that are underinflated can heat up quickly and be subject to bursting,” he added.
Barge stressed that safety starts with the correct choice of tyre, regular maintenance, air pressure checks, and ensuring tyres are changed promptly when they are worn or damaged. Michelin, a leading tyre company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing and marketing tyres for every type of vehicle including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles/motorcycles, earthmovers, farm equipment and trucks. It also offers electronic mobility support services on ViaMichelin.com and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in more than 170 countries, has 113,400 employees and operates 69 production plants in 18 different countries. The group has a technology centre in-charge of research, development and process engineering, with operations in Europe, North America and Asia (www.michelin.com). The Michelin regional headquarters for Africa, India, and the Middle East is based in Dubai.
Swaidan Trading Co. LLC was established in 1979 as the trading arm of the Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah Group. As an active commercial enterprise, Swaidan Trading Co. LLC represents several world-class principles in the automotive, heavy equipment and commercial vehicles sector. It has grown rapidly into one of the most reputed and recognised names in the UAE, providing its customers with comprehensive services. Swaidan Trading Co. LLC has been accredited with ISO 9001:2000 since 1999. The Commercial Vehicles Division is the largest supplier of buses catering to school and labour transport, public transport and tourist coaches. Ashok Leyland Ashok Leyland has been moving people and goods for six decades. One of the largest commercial vehicles manufactured in India, Ashok Leyland buses carry over
70 million passengers every day. Close to 700,000 vehicles bearing the Ashok Leyland badge keep the wheels of the economy turning. Ashok Leyland is the undisputed leader in supplying large school buses. It is a great sight to see hundreds of brightly painted Ashok Leyland school buses transporting children from home to school and back every day in the UAE. Ashok Leyland school buses are built to meet the highest standards of safety and reliability and provide all over protection. It has been supplying school buses in the UAE for the past 30 years. The buses are factory fitted with quality safety equipment and accessories to fully comply with the requirement of various government departments. The excellent partnership with Ashok Leyland has enabled Swaidan Trading to establish a comprehensive countrywide network of after-sales facilities to provide high quality support to its esteemed customers.
Gear up for safer journey » Continued from previous page ticed danger, the heat. Apart from these, basic road security applies as well. Nowadays, buses are equipped with the latest technology that not only measures the distance between cars (to avoid bumper-tobumper collisions) but also offers Global Positioning System (GPS) for road guidance, and cameras within buses to record and monitor students’ behaviour. The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi has recently introduced legislations directed at school buses to maintain safety standards. These regulations feature a DoT-issued permit for school bus drivers that ensure they
are qualified for the position, requiring them to carry out daily bus inspections which include checking lights, tyres and seats, availability of first-aid kits and fire extinguishers, that the entrance and exit are not barred by any obstacles, and maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour. It also covers the need to supervise children as they board and disembark the bus, to provide proper facilities for special needs students, and that children under
SUNWIN Practical and reliable school buses designed for ME market Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corporation (SUNWIN) is a joint venture between SAIC Motor Co. Ltd (SAIC Motor), Volvo (China) Investment Corp. (VIC) and Volvo Bus Corp. (VBC). With a plant area of 136,000 square metres including a construction area of over 60,000 square metres, SUNWIN has an annual production capacity of more than 4,000 buses and chassis. With advance technology from Volvo and the production capability of SAIC Group, SUNWIN buses are customised to suit the customer specific requirements. SUNWIN school buses are built to the highest standard of safety and reliability and are available in various seating configurations from 30 to 60 seats. The buses fully comply with the RTA, Ministry of Interior and ADEC/DOT specifications.
11 years are handed to a guardian at drop-offs. Furthermore, DoT emphasises the importance of its new regulations by making it compulsory to possess the permit else no bus will be registered, renewed or cancelled. Each emirate is taking a step forward towards efficient school buses. To promote sustainable transportation in Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority recently hosted the School Transportation Conference and Exhibition which discussed topics featuring regulation and legislation, planning and operation, safety, technology and security. The traffic has infamously contributed to the country’s carbon emissions, and in response, ecoconscious parents are now encouraging their children to carpool, or use the school bus. — farhana@khaleejtimes.com
Leading through innovation Michelin strives for total performance in its tyres
Tyres on your vehicle are expected to do many things including carry loads; steer and corner well, stop efficiently when braking, and provide a comfortable ride. In addition, drivers are also increasingly asking for tyres to last longer and contribute to fuel savings. In order to do this, creating good tyres that respond to these different needs is a technological balancing act, and drivers often will have to give up performances in some areas to gain advantage in others — an example would be giving up tyre life for better tyre grip. Through advanced and patented technologies and materials developed by the Michelin Research and Development teams, the French tyre giant is able to achieve improved performance in targeted areas without compromising on performances in the other areas — a concept called Michelin Total Performance. Michelin invented the radial tyre in 1946, and was the first to pioneer the fuel efficient green tyre technology and has remained a world leader in introducing many new innovations to the automotive mobility. An example of this focus on total performance in passenger car tyres is the MICHELIN Primacy 3 tyre, which was recently introduced in the UAE. The MICHELIN Primacy 3 provides excellent stopping distance when braking, gives excellent control when cornering and delivers the legendary good long mileage expected of a MICHELIN tyre. For Michelin’s offer in the truck and bus market, the company also launched its innovative “FAZ” technology in the Gulf, giving its tyres greater robustness and resistance to heat and harsh conditions, up to 25 per cent more life, fuel savings, and stronger casings that significantly improve retreadibility — all of which are important for commercial fleet profitability.
SWAIDAN TRADING CO. LLC
Your Trust, Our Commitment P.O. Box: 1200, Dubai-UAE. E-mail: bus.sales@alnaboodah.com Branches: Dubai - Sheikh Zayed Road 04 3400033 Abu Dhabi - Musaffah 02 5554233 Sharjah - 06 5085333 Ras Al Khaimah - 07 2352273 Fujairah - 09 2222731 Al Ain - 03 7211792 www.alnaboodah.com Tollfree: 800 437