Dubai RTA ramps up school safety with 30-day bus inspection drive, more taxis and buses

Dubai: With the new academic year set to begin at a large number of schools on August 31, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has rolled out a wide-ranging set of measures to keep students safe on their daily commute.

The plans announced on Monday include a 30-day intensive inspection campaign for school buses, more taxis and increased bus frequency around school zones, and tighter safety compliance checks for drivers and attendants.

All these measures are aimed at giving parents greater peace of mind as the 2026-2027 school year gets underway.

RTA will also carry out a 30-day intensive school bus inspection campaign across schools and buses in Dubai, verifying compliance with safety standards and operating procedures.

Alongside this, specialised field inspections and awareness drives will check the validity of driver and attendant permits, reinforcing the role of qualified, authorised staff in keeping students safe throughout their journeys.

As part of its preparations for the new term, RTA has issued circulars to school bus operators, stressing full operational readiness.

These cover school bus readiness, comprehensive safety checks, compliance with operating procedures, and valid permits for drivers and attendants.

These are designed to ensure buses meet the highest safety standards before hitting the roads.

To give parents greater flexibility, RTA is supporting a range of dedicated school mobility services through e-hail limousine operators, including Careem School Rides, Uber Teens and BOLT School.

These services prioritise high-safety-rated drivers and modern vehicle fleets, offering families added reassurance when choosing transport for their children.

RTA is also backing the School Ride Pooling initiative in Al Barsha, available through the Yango app. It gives parents an additional transport option, letting students share rides through convenient packages while contributing to smoother, more efficient school journeys.

Students can also benefit from a 50% discount on RTA's public transport services — including the Metro, Tram and public buses — through the student nol Card.

To improve reliability during peak school hours, RTA will increase taxi availability in several school zones across Dubai, giving parents and students more mobility options during opening and closing times.

The authority will also boost the frequency of more than 30 bus routes serving key school zones, including Al Nahda, Muhaisnah, Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al Garhoud,

This is aimed at improving service availability, cutting waiting times and enabling smoother journeys for students and families.

RTA said its school-season preparations form part of an integrated approach to student safety, operational readiness and service reliability.

The measures combine preventive inspections, regulatory compliance, field monitoring, increased public transport capacity and technology-enabled mobility options to ensure students can travel to and from school in a safe, secure, reliable and comfortable environment.

Seat belt use remains mandatory in school buses and ride-pooling and ride-hailing services.

Through these measures, RTA aims to support schools, operators and parents in ensuring a smooth and safe start to the academic year, while reinforcing Dubai's commitment to safe and sustainable mobility solutions for students and the wider community.