UAE | Traffic and Transport

Dubai private school group moves to outsource bus service

Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), which runs 26 schools nationwide, will outsource school bus services in Dubai to an external provider

  • By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:31 April 24, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: A private education provider will outsource its school bus services in nine of its schools beginning June 1 to cut costs.

Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), which runs 26 schools nationwide, will outsource school bus services in Dubai to an external provider.

The schools are Kindergarten Starters, Millennium, Our Own Indian School, Our Own Indian School, Our Own English High School, Modern High School, Westminster School, Winchester School and the Cambridge School.

GEMS said it had no option but to take this step to cope with rising costs. "As of now it will only affect a few schools in Dubai," said Monica Harter, Corporate and Communications Director at GEMS. "But I would like to assure all parents who opt to avail themselves of the bus service that if we have selected a provider our core criteria will be the safety of our pupils."

Our Own High School issued a circular to parents saying: "In the absence of approval from regulatory authorities we have been unable to increase the transport fees to realistically reflect the true operating cost. Fuel costs alone have risen over 300 per cent in the past four years. The rising cost of buses together with an over 50 per cent remuneration increase for our bus drivers and conductors have all contributed to an astronomical rise in the cost of operating the school-provided transport services.

"This optional yet very important service has been provided at a heavily subsidised rate for many years. Our bus service has been provided for as low as Dh1,300 per annum comparative to external providers which range from Dh5,000 to Dh8,000."

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