Education minister visits students injured in bus accident

AMMAN — Education Minister Omar Razzaz on Tuesday visited students who were injured when their school bus overturned on Monday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

An 18-year-old student was killed and seven other students were injured in the accident, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement.

The injured students were taken to King Hussein Medical City (KHMC), where they were listed in fair condition.

The medical cadre briefed Razzaz on the students’ condition and the treatment they are receiving.

The minister also listened to the students’ parents, who explained the causes of the accident. 

He wished the children a speedy recovery.

Razzaz commended the efforts of the KHMC and the CDD’s cadres in dealing with the accident, expressing the educational sector’s condolences over the death of the student.

He directed the ministry’s private education department to ensure strict regulatory compliance by drivers to traffic rules by issuing circulars to all schools.

A Public Security Department statement said the department has started campaigns to monitor school buses to make sure drivers abide by traffic laws in terms of the licences required for vehicles and the number of passengers carried.

Under the law, the department will make sure drivers are qualified to drive school and university buses before they are hired, the statement said, in order to avoid accidents caused by reckless driving.

If a bus driver is caught violating any of the requirements to drive a vehicle, the authorities are legally justified to stop the driver from working or confiscate his driving licence.