Alarms and cameras sought

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Calls for tighter school-bus safeguards surged after the Ministry of Education announced it had referred a private school bus driver to the Public Prosecution.

The ministry said the driver forgot a child who had fallen asleep inside the vehicle. He later returned, found the child unharmed, and then attempted to hide the incident from the child’s guardian.

Through a social media post, the ministry stated that it has formed an investigative team with the private school to review the procedures followed in operating buses and dealing with contracted drivers.

It affirmed that it exercises the highest levels of oversight over educational and operational processes in private institutions, thanking parents and the community for their cooperation in protecting children.

The ministry’s post drew responses from the public proposing specific steps to prevent similar lapses. One commenter suggested installing a strong alarm so that if a child wakes up inside the bus after everyone has left, it will trigger attention.

Another called for cameras to be placed inside the vehicle. Others pointed to seat sensors, saying they would help detect whether a child remains on board when the bus is emptied.

Users expressed differing views on responsibility.

Some insisted that drivers should personally check every seat instead of relying on equipment, arguing that careful inspection cannot be replaced by devices.