Press Releases
09 Dec 2018
Rolling out initiative to assess school bus operators
RTA’s Public Transport Agency has launched an initiative for the assessment of school bus operators in Dubai. The move aims to foster a competitive spirit between operators and motivate them to be innovative and excel in delivering services. It also seeks to enhance the security & safety levels and increase the number of students lifted by school buses in Dubai.
“The assessment of school bus operators is based on the best practices prevailing in Australia, UK, Canada, and Singapore,” said Mohammed Al Hashemi, Director of Planning and Business Development, Public Transport Agency. “The criteria also include the compliance of operators with the security & safety issues and the implementation of the approved technical standards of school buses. The classification of companies will also be guided by initiatives they launch to increase the number of students using school buses and motivate bus drivers & attendants as well,” he noted.
For this purpose, operators will be divided into three categories: big companies (with a fleet of more than 100 school buses), medium companies (with a fleet of 50 to 100 buses), and small companies (operating less than 50 buses). The classification process involves the selection of one operator from the mega companies’ category, and two companies from each of the medium and small companies’ categories as the best school transport operators in Dubai.
The school transport sector is growing steadily in Dubai. The number of operators has picked up from 233 companies in 2010 to 329 companies in 2017, recording a growth rate of 5.1% p.a.
“Through this initiative, RTA is seeking to bring happiness to students lifted by school buses and raise the satisfaction rating of parents. Such an environment will trigger companies to excel in delivering world-class services focused on safety & security in this vital field,” added Al Hashemi.
It is noteworthy that the Planning and Business Development Department has recently held an induction workshop for school bus operators in Dubai. The workshop aimed to familiarise them with the above initiative. Winners of the three categories will be announced in January next year 2019.