Dubai: As the back-to-school season approaches, you may be searching for ways to save both time and money on your child’s school bus commute. Fortunately, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) offers different options for parents looking for a dedicated taxi service for school pick-ups and drop-offs.
How to save with pre-booked taxi services for school transport
In 2023, the RTA launched the 'school rides' option through the Careem app. One of the benefits of choosing this option is that you would be paying for a single package that covers multiple children, rather than paying separately for each child.
Benefits of the RTA’s School Rides Taxi Service
• Up to 34.5 per cent discount: Enjoy lower fares compared to regular Careem rides.
• Family-friendly: Use the same package for multiple children at the same school.
• No surge pricing: Avoid unexpected fare increases during peak hours.
• Real-time tracking: Monitor your child's journey for peace of mind through the Careem app.
RTA's age requirements for the service
• Under eight years old: Not allowed without an adult companion.
• Between 8 to 11 years old: Allowed with written consent from parent/guardian.
• 12 years and above: Allowed to travel alone.
How to book RTA’s ‘School rides’ through Careem
Step 1: Buy the ‘School Rides’ package’ on the app
• Open the Careem app, which is available for Apple and Android devices, and go to ‘All Services’ on the home page. Next, look for the ‘School Rides’ option.
• Next, tap on ‘Search Schools’ and type in the name of school and confirm the school’s location.
• Enter your home location.
• Next, pay for the package. The cost will depend on the distance between home and school. The package starts at Dh260 for 20 rides.
• Complete the payment.
Step 2: Start booking the ‘School Rides’
Once a package has been purchased, you can use it to book rides to and from the school by following the steps below:
• Select the drop off location.
• Confirm the pick up location.
• Review your ride and make sure the School Rides package is active on the booking.
• Click on 'Yalla' to book a ride.
Book a Dubai taxi for daily school runs
The Dubai Taxi Corporation offers another option for parents - ‘In Safe Hands’. Pre-book daily, weekly, or monthly taxi rides for your child's school transportation needs.
Taxi fare for the ‘In Safe Hands’ service
As per DTC’s website – dubaitaxi.ae, here is a breakdown of the taxi’s service charges:
• A refundable deposit of Dh200 has to be paid before the start of the service.
• The opening tariff starts at Dh25 and is calculated at Dh3.67 per kilometre.
Age requirement
Before you book the trip, it is important to note that a child who is under the age of 13 years must have a guardian while travelling. This could be a designated guardian travelling with the child or a child above the age of 13.
How to book the taxi service
Step 1: Download the app and book a taxi
• Download the ‘DTC’ app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
• Open the app and tap on the ‘In Safe Hands’ service on the homepage.
• Tap ‘Book New’.
Step 2: Enter passenger information
• Next, you will be asked – ‘Who is the assigned guardian?’ You have two options:
• A designated guardian is travelling with the child. A guardian must accompany the child if they are less than 13 years old.
• A child above the age of 13 is the assigned guardian.
• Select the option that applies to you.
• Then, enter the guardian’s full name.
• Next, enter the mobile number and Emirates ID number of the guardian. Then, tap ‘Next’.
• Select the number of passengers in the taxi excluding the guardian.
Step 3: Select the pickup and drop-off location
• You can enter the location on the app’s search bar and confirm.
Step 4: Select the frequency of the trips:
• Select whether the trip is one-way or two-way.
• Select ‘repeated’ or ‘single’ trip. According to DTC, ‘repeated’ is for customers booking taxis for multiple numbers of days for example: a few days, weeks or months.
• Enter the service duration – starting and end date.
• Next, select if you want the taxi only in the morning, evening or both.
• Choose the days.
• Select the pick-up and drop-off time.
Step 5: Review the booking details and pay
• Next, you will receive a summary of your trip and cost. In case of repeated trips, this will give you a total cost for all the trips. Tap, ‘Next’.
• Add your credit or debit card details and pay for the trip.
• Once you have paid for the trip, you will receive a confirmation on the app, and the taxi will arrive to pick up or drop off your children, according to the scheduled dates.
You must contact the DTC call centre at 800 88088, if you need to make any changes to your booking.
