Press Releases
16 Dec 2018
Dubai Taxi beefs up school bus fleet to 370 buses
(The service lifts 8820 students registered in 19 schools )
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) revealed that the number of Dubai Taxi Corporation’s school buses in operation had surged significantly since the launch of the service in the 2015-2016 academic year. Comparing to the academic year 2017-2018, the number of buses had raised by 77% from 85 to 370 buses.
Such an increase is indicative of the growing role of school transport in providing safe and smooth mobility to students of various ages. It also states that this premium service is encouraging parents to have their children lifted by school buses, rather than private vehicles, and supports the UAE Education Strategy 2020.
“Our school buses are equipped with advanced tracking systems to monitor the movement of buses and students, in order to enhance the safety and security of the service provided. The systems include surveillance cameras, sensors to ensure that all buses are empty at end of each trip, an emergency button to communicate with the control centre, a GPS-connected electronic tracking system, and identity verification system through the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Buses are equipped with self-extinguishing fire systems compatible with the highest international safety standards,” said Dr. Yousif Al Ali, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation.
“The total number of students registered in the School Transport Service has increased by 79% from 1850 to 8,820 students. The number of schools contracted under the system has similarly jumped by 68% from 6 to 19 schools since the launch of the School Transport Service.”
“Through our digital on Internet (schoolbus.dubaitaxi.ae/parentportal), parents can make electronic payments, register students, and update their details. It also enables them to track the movement of students and buses, specify the pick-up and drop-off points, and measures their happiness and satisfaction rating. The DTC School Bus App enables parents to track the movement of students and buses using the GPS of their smartphones,” stated Al Ali.
“The success of the service is attributed to the special attention we pay to the school bus drivers’ selection criteria and the advanced training they get in order to use our smart buses. Also the selection of qualified female supervisors capable of dealing with students of all age groups. These supervisors have been trained on handling emergency cases and accredited by the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services in First Aid and other training programs,” said Essam Al Rafie, Director of School Transportation, Dubai Taxi Corporation.
“Dubai Taxi Corporation aims to enhance the school bus fleet to 547 buses by 2020 and seeks to be the first point of call for many schools and universities in Dubai. This vision will enable us to realise our strategic goal of people happiness and excellent operation,” added Al Rafie.