Heavy vehicles banned from Abu Dhabi Island mornings Aug 31–Sept 4 for school year start

Abu Dhabi Mobility has announced a temporary traffic restriction on Abu Dhabi Island to coincide with the start of the new school year. From Monday, Aug. 31, to Friday, Sept. 4, heavy vehicles and buses carrying workers will be barred from entering the island between 6:30am and 9am. Vehicles providing logistics support and those operated by cleaning companies are exempt. The measure aims to ease congestion and improve safety as more than 279,000 students return to school. Abu Dhabi Mobility has declared over 10,000 licensed school buses ready to operate, with all vehicles inspected against technical and safety requirements. Specialised training has been provided for bus drivers, supervisors and transport coordinators. Parents are encouraged to use the Salama school transport app, which allows real-time tracking of bus journeys and notifications of boarding and arrival times. School bus drivers must meet strict requirements, including a minimum age of 25, a UAE driving licence held for at least a year, good conduct certification, and completion of approved training. Drivers are prohibited from using mobile phones, eating or smoking while driving, and must obey speed limits with a maximum of 100 km/h.