DAMMAM, 4 May 2004 — Nine-year-old Hamzah, who was crushed to death by his own school bus, has been laid to rest. His death has shaken not only the students, teachers and school management but the entire Indian community in the Eastern Province.
It took a tragedy to force the Indian School management at last to review its transport system and traffic regulations around the school. The school’s 6,000 parents had been demanding this for years.
Since Hamzah’s death the committee has met several times to come up with a strategy to avoid a repetition of the accident. Dozens of Indian groups have met in Dammam and Alkhobar castigating the school management and proposing plans to ensure the children’s safety.
One suggestion is for parent volunteers to accompany the children to school.
The school has announced that from May 8 there will be a conductor on all its buses. Previously only 45 of the 72 SAPTCO-run buses had conductors — the bus carrying Hamzah did not. The school has also decided to put teachers and other staff on buses to control the children.
