How will Dubai's school bus pooling project work?

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to launch a pilot phase of a new school bus pooling initiative within the next two weeks, aimed at reducing traffic congestion, cutting travel time and promoting public transportation.

The initiative, announced by the RTA this week, will be implemented in partnership with tech firm Yango Group, which offers ride-hailing solutions, and mobility company Urban Express, which provides smart passenger transport services.

“This is a new initiative by the RTA,” Adel Shakri, Director of Planning and Business Development at RTA, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Dubai International Project Management Forum (DIPMF) 2026.

“We aim to reduce travel time and costs, making it affordable for parents to use public transportation,” Shakri said, noting the initiative also seeks to ease congestion during peak hours.

The school bus pooling system will operate like an e-hailing service. A data-driven school bus pooling system will group students traveling along the same routes into shared buses. So, students from the same neighbourhood will share a bus to different schools in the area, reducing travel time and reliance on private cars.

The pilot will begin in Al Barsha, with the potential to expand citywide if successful. “We will launch it within less than two weeks,” Shakri said. “Once the pilot succeeds, the service will roll out across Dubai.”

While affordability, easing traffic bottlenecks, and promoting sustainable mobility are key priorities, safety and security are equally important.

“All current school transport safety measures will be followed,” he added.