The Ministry of Transportation informed the Ministry of Education on Wednesday that school buses manufactured more than 10 years ago are not to be used. An official source in the Ministry of Transportation told Okaz/Saudi Gazette, “The decision was made to protect students from the dangers of old vehicles.” The Ministry of Education has written its administrations and schools and informed them of the need to abide by the decision, officials said. The ministry also confirmed that private schools must obtain school-transport-vehicle operation cards through the Ministry of Transportation, according to its procedures and regulations. Although the Ministry of Transportation has issued the directive, the regulation addressing school buses it oversees does not specify a maximum age for them, provided the vehicles are in good condition, according to a memo dated June 3, 1992. In a related matter, the ministry said that those who seek licenses to transport schoolchildren should have invested capital that is fully owned by Saudi nationals and those who have licenses must have the proper financial and technical capabilities.
