UAE: Long school bus commutes may lead to health risks
In the UAE, Naya Osama, aged nine, spends almost two hours each day traveling to school, a short distance of just over 5 km from her home in Al Nad, Sharjah.
She must wake up at 5:50am to take the school bus that picks her up at 6:45am. Her school is located in the University City Road Industrial Area 6. The bus fee is Dh5,500, but the long journey distresses her mother, Rehab Abdullah, who is unable to drive her due to work.
Despite school ending at 4:00pm, Naya doesn’t get home until about two hours later due to traffic, a situation that worries Rehab. School buses, according to Rehab, appear to be the only choice for some folk, but she doesn't consider it the best.
The long journey tires the students
Moreover, lack of washroom access adds health risks and her arrival time at home is unpredictable. Rehab's friend, Nighat, mentioned that her daughter often sleeps on the bus due to the journey being lengthy not merely due to distance, but also traffic congestion.
While safe, she calls school bus service inconvenient. Nighat, who pays Dh4,000 yearly for this service, revealed that the school rejected her husband’s offer to drive their child, saying they had to choose both pick-up and drop-off services.
Doctors Suggestions:
There are warnings from doctors of the negative health impact of long school commutes. Children on buses for extended periods often suffer physical discomfort, fatigue, loss of concentration in class, and have overall poor academic performance.
There's even potential of urinary tract infections (UTIs) from holding in urine for long periods. Dr Ignatiius Edwin D’souza reasons that long commutes can lead to bladder infection from urine retention and encourage growth of bacteria.
Alongside this, extended sitting and lack of restroom access elicits nausea and vomiting from motion sickness. He suggests that children have a light meal before traveling and use the restroom pre-travel to limit urinary discomfort and make their commutes more comfortable.
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