RTA increases school bus fleet in Dubai for academic year 2021-2022

Dubai: Around 440 extra school buses will be pressed into service for the upcoming academic year, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said on Monday.

Mansour Rahma Al Falasi, CEO of RTA’s Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), said: “[We] are making exceptional efforts to further enhance the confidence of parents in our school transport services. DTC has taken extensive precautionary measures to ensure the safety of students such as sanitising school buses before and after the boarding of students and limiting the usable seats to 50 per cent of the bus capacity.”

He added: “Through these measures, we intend to comply with the local and global practices of curbing the spread of COVID-19,and ensure that students are well protected and feel happy during their journeys from and to schools.

Hi-tech devices

Al Falasi said the school buses are fitted with hi-tech devices for monitoring and tracking both buses and students. Devices include cameras, sensors to ensure no student is left behind in the bus, an emergency button to communicate with the control centre, a GPS-based electronic tracking system, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) system, and an engine self-extinguishing system.

According to DTC, drivers and attendants have been trained in handling of emergency cases and certified on first aid by Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services. Parents meanwhile can track the movement of the bus and students.

To avail of the school bus services, parents or guardians can log in to Dubai Taxi’s portal.