All school buses in Shanghai are required to meet the national standard from September, according to Shanghai's education authorities.

Under the recent national standard, school buses should be equipped with special signals and painted with traffic signs.

In bid to ensure students' safety and operate well, school buses will undergo safety inspections every six months. They will also have a thorough examination every three years and drivers' licenses will be inspected. Buses that meet the standard will have a permit valid for three years.

Shanghai has about 2,000 licensed school buses serving more than 380 high schools, middle schools, primary schools and kindergartens as well as international schools. They make up 67 percent of all licensed school buses in the country.

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn