Abu Dhabi: All 15-seater minibuses are required to be fitted with anti-lock braking system (ABS), seat belts and head restraints for all passengers from August 5, Abu Dhabi Police announced on Saturday.
Vehicles without these will not be permitted to carry passengers on the emirate’s roads.

Abu Dhabi Police issued the new specifications and procedures for the registration or re-registration of 15-seater minibuses and small cargo vans in the emirate which will come into force from August 5.
The specifications were designed in coordination with the Department of Transport.
According to the new registration procedures, the minibuses which are nine years’ old will be permitted to ply for only one more year; then their registration will be cancelled.

Specifications
At the same time, models of minibuses up to 2016 are required to comply with the Gulf specifications and should be fitted with the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and have 30-centimetre-width for passenger seats. They wouldn’t be permitted to add additional seats. All seats must have seat belts.
Folding seats in the corridor are not allowed.
They should also be equipped with airbags for the driver and rear passenger seats and all passengers should have adjustable head restraints.
These buses should be fitted with the speed governor set at a maximum speed of 100km/h.
The new measures aim at enhancing the safety of public bus transportation, police said.
The conditions of minibuses have been reviewed in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology. The Gulf specifications were introduced for minibus models from 2017.
Old buses
As for the procedures related to the old buses, they have to make the required modifications or exit from the service.
The 2013 to 2016 models of minibuses will be permitted to only for five years from the first registration. Those minibuses which have completed five years will be allowed to transport passengers only for one more year.
Buses of other emirates
The minibuses licensed from other emirates of the country are required to get them inspected at the Driver’s Licensing and Technical Directorate in Abu Dhabi to ensure that they comply with the new conditions.
In case they fail to comply with these, they need to obtain special permits, police said.

SOURCE : GULFNEWS