UAE | Education
Parents concerned over outsourcing of school transport
Conditions of school buses that are being outsourced to a private company have raised concern among parents and pupils.
- By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:49 September 8, 2008
Dubai: Conditions of school buses that are being outsourced to a private company have raised concern among parents and pupils.
It has been just a week since schools re-opened after the summer break and already there are complaints about lack of air-conditioning in some buses.
Global Education Management System (Gems) has outsourced the transport services for all its schools in Dubai to Bright Bus Transport. It has, however, retained operational control over the services.
Pupils who take Bus 21 from the Westminster School - a Gems-managed institution - complained of the lack of air-conditioning in their bus.
A parent told Gulf News, "My children in Westminster School use Bus 21. Yesterday [Sunday] was the first day for my children to travel with the new bus company, that promised better services based on the instructions of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). [But] My children complained that the air-conditioning in the bus was not working properly and the pupils had to suffer. Many were fasting, including my son. We pay Dh350 per month against the previous fee of Dh145 per month.
"I understand that there is only a change of face by creating a [new] bus company, but RTA instructions should be followed."
The parent said he had also e-mailed his complaint to Bright Bus Transport and RTA.
Colonel M.L. Augustine, managing director of School Transport Service - a newly-formed entity looking after school bus operations by Gems - said: "We checked with the driver and I was told that necessary repair work was carried out and the bus had enough cooling. I agree that there was a problem with the air-conditioning on the first day."
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