Emirates Transport recently invited a local newspaper to join them on a test run of their school transport services ahead of the upcoming academic year 2025 – 2026, starting next Monday. The purpose of this tour was to gain insights into the bus routes and to ensure the highest standards of safety and security are being implemented.
Adnan Alzarouni, the regional director of school transport operations in the northern regions, emphasized that this year’s preparations culminate in the organization of “School Transport Week,” a significant training workshop involving all branches, drivers, and supervisors.
In an interview, he shared specifics regarding the government school transport system serviced by Emirates Transport. Notably, there are currently 6,952 safety supervisors, including 1,850 who are local nationals.
This year, government school transport is set to accommodate approximately 187,828 students across 446 schools, facilitated by 4,817 school buses operating on 7,157 daily routes.
These figures reflect the extensive effort invested in ensuring safe and organized transport for students attending government schools, in accordance with the quality and safety standards upheld by Emirates Transport.
Timeline Plan
Alzarouni reported that the smart application “My Bus” launched by Emirates Transport has been downloaded 18,138 times by parents. The app not only allows for student registration and real-time tracking of their journeys but also notifies parents in case of any delays beyond the scheduled time.
This feature enhances transparency and gives parents peace of mind. He added that the designated waiting time for each student’s bus in front of their residence ranges between 30 to 60 seconds, ensuring smooth bus operations and punctuality.
He stressed the importance of parents adhering to the timings set by the school and coordinating with their children to ensure the daily journeys are regular and to prevent any delays that might affect the educational process.
Smart Planning
Alzarouni elaborated on the use of smart technology to enhance bus routes, utilizing an advanced program that relies on precise data including student addresses, school schedules, and traffic conditions. The goal is to minimize travel times and reduce the distance traveled, thereby cutting down the carbon footprint and improving operational efficiency. The system continually updates routes through simulation processes.
He noted that the company conducts trial runs of school buses across all approved routes before the academic year starts, achieving a 100% completion rate in trial trips ahead of the new school year.
These trials aim to verify journey times, the accuracy of student pick-up and drop-off locations, and safety standards, alongside implementing any additional improvements to enhance operational efficiency.
He further stated that Emirates Transport will service over 260,000 students across 610 public and private schools and partnerships, with more than 9,800 buses and vehicles in operation, including 547 buses specifically designed for students of determination, numbering over 4,100. Additionally, 639 new buses have been added this year to meet operational demands.
Maintenance and Fleet Updates
Alzarouni mentioned that 9,396 buses have undergone summer maintenance as part of a comprehensive plan, where each bus receives four types of maintenance annually, totaling over 60,000 operations conducted across 23 service centers.
He confirmed that the fleet continues to be updated, with hundreds of new buses added this year to enhance efficiency.
Training for Drivers and Supervisors
It was noted that the fleet is operated by 8,636 drivers aided by 9,547 supervisors. In recent months, around 100,000 training hours have been provided, benefiting over 30,000 drivers and supervisors. Each driver has participated in 20 training programs averaging 6 hours, while supervisors completed 15 programs averaging 5 hours, enhancing their performance capabilities and ensuring student safety.
Safety Systems
All buses are equipped with a safety system featuring seven interior and exterior cameras, an emergency button, a check button, motion and smoke sensors, driver performance monitoring devices, a speed limiter, seat belts, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits, along with emergency hammers.
Moreover, Emirates Transport has launched the online platform “Aegis” for reporting and investigating incidents and near-misses, in addition to activating a central operations room to monitor vehicles in real-time and intervene when necessary.
A total of 20,525 routes have undergone risk assessment, covering over 200,000 individual student pick-up points from their homes.
Awareness Messages
Concluding his remarks, Alzarouni emphasized the importance of parents collaborating by encouraging their children to get enough sleep, adhere to bus waiting times, cooperate with the bus staff, and maintain cleanliness in the bus. He expressed gratitude to partners and parents for their trust and wished everyone a successful and safe academic year.
Adnan Alzarouni:
Smart planning aims to reduce journey times and minimize distances traveled.
All buses are equipped with a safety system featuring seven internal and external cameras.