Back-to-School: Dubai RTA rolls out robust traffic safety plan for students

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled a comprehensive plan to ensure traffic safety as the new academic year 2025–2026 gets underway on Monday.
The steps include a package of traffic improvements around schools and a series of innovative awareness initiatives aimed at students, parents and drivers. These efforts form part of RTA’s commitment to promoting traffic safety awareness among students, a key pillar of Dubai’s traffic safety strategy.

RTA will resume its suite of awareness programmes, including more than four key initiatives designed for different age groups. Students in middle school will benefit from the “Golden Rules for Generations’ Safety” programme, while the “Hello, My School” programme will target kindergarten and primary school children, and the “Virtual Driving Licence” programme is for high school students.

The Authority will support major school events at the start of the academic year and distribute educational gifts to students featuring QR codes that link to digital designs presenting traffic safety instructions.

Hussain Al Banna, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, said RTA is committed to supporting traffic safety in school zones for all students and education staff in Dubai.

“Our expanded back-to-school plan, developed in collaboration with Dubai Police, includes providing drivers and parents with proper guidance on safe practices when dropping off and picking up students.”
Awareness gifts will be distributed to parents with safety tips, while student-focused gifts carry messages on safe street crossing and avoiding danger zones near school buses and family vehicles.

Al Banna highlighted that Dubai’s schools are expected to host about 400,000 students across more than 230 public and private schools, representing more than 185 different nationalities and cultures.
“This diversity poses significant challenges, including the need to provide the best conditions and services to improve the learning environment and avoid traffic accidents. With the cooperation of our government and private sector partners, RTA has played a vital role in ensuring that Dubai schools have remained free of traffic-related fatalities in recent years, recording zero fatalities since 2010.”

The authority is also expanding its network of electronic signboards near schools to display vehicle speeds, with modifications encouraging motorists to reduce speed and wear seatbelts. Traffic safety messages will continue to be promoted through social media, outdoor advertisements, and customer service centres. RTA is collaborating closely with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and Emirates Schools Establishment to share safety instructions with students and parents to avoid traffic accidents in school areas.

At the start of the new academic season, Al Banna urged all stakeholders, parents, and drivers to adhere strictly to traffic safety measures, including using designated pick-up and drop-off areas, avoiding spaces reserved for People of Determination or emergency vehicles, and following school bus signals and signs.
These measures support the nationwide awareness campaign led by the Ministry of Interior under the theme ‘Traffic Safety for School Students’.