Sunday 17 / August / 2025
Muscat: Road safety and public welfare representatives in Oman have called for better training for bus drivers and stronger safety measures for schoolchildren, after an eight-year-old girl died when she was knocked down by a bus.
Just moments after being dropped off near her house, eight-year-old Fatima Al Kindi was crossing the street to her home in Seeb, when the accident happened on Monday.
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The tragedy was confirmed by the Royal Oman Police, and Mohammed Al Kindi, a relative of Fatima’s family told Times of Oman, “This is a really sad incident. The bus dropped the child off on the opposite side of the road from her house, with her neighbour. When Fatima wanted to cross the street, she was not seen by the other bus, which ran over her.”
“Her school bus which was transporting female students was waiting for her to cross the road, and people on board were shocked when the other bus hit her,” he added. “The bus driver should’ve slowed down and exercised caution because he would’ve seen the other bus on the road. Buses are there to drop children home after school and there should be warning signs on the bus so that other vehicle drivers notice this and stay alert.”
Fatima’s mother rushed her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with multiple fractures and internal bleeding. Doctors tried to save her life but saw their efforts end in vain, as Fatima passed away in the early hours of the evening.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that a young school child has died in a transport incident: just last week, a four-year-old girl suffocated after the driver of her school bus forgot she was on board.
In addition, said Sulaiman Al Suliami, a member of the Executive Committee of the Oman Road Safety Association, “a similar incident occurred last year when a school-going child was involved in an accident just like this one in Al Amerat.
Sulaiman Al Suliami said, “On behalf of ORSA, I would like to pass on my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Fatima Al Kindi. This is a most heart-breaking thing that has happened.”
“Bus drivers must learn that when they drop off schoolchildren, primarily those between grade one and grade four – we refer to them as Phase I students – they must realise that these children may not know how to properly cross the roads, and they must therefore either drop them in front of their houses or at a hub where parents come to collect their children,” he added.
Al Sulaimi, who also serves as the President of the Oman Health and Safety Environment Professionals under ORSA, said that there needed to be stronger punishments for drivers who did not follow safety rules with regards to student welfare.
“There needs to be strict action taken against such drivers, because at the end of the day, a life has been lost, and we cannot get back a life once it has gone,” he added. “Bus drivers and other motorists have to be careful when they see schoolchildren getting on and off a bus. There must also be a supervisor on board every bus so that they make sure all the children go safely.
“We are also going to shortly start training volunteers who will be skilled in first aid, so that they can provide assistance to those who have suffered injuries and bleeding in accidents,” added Al Sulaimi. “This will help in providing quick action at the scene of the accident, but we sincerely hope that the number of accidents goes down and are working with the government to help decrease this number.”
Hilal Al Sarmi, Shura Member of Wilayat Seeb said: “Some of the drivers do not seem to be following their training or the required safety measures in buses or on the street. Workers in the education sector did say that they had implemented training programmes for drivers, but so far we have not seen any change. Buses must have safety systems, and be equipped with cameras, safety sensors and alarm signals.”
