RTA adds 125 new school buses; to benefit over 10,000 students

dubai — Over 10,000 students are expected to use the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) buses in the new academic year 2017/2018.

A contract awarding the procurement of 125 new buses to the fleet of DTC has been endorsed by the board of executive directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), chaired by Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board.

The new buses will add to the fleet of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) to cope with the growing school transport activity. The number of students lifted by DTC buses is expected to rise from 7,000 students in the last academic year to 10,000 students in the new academic year 2017/2018.

Al Tayer said: “The new buses, which have been tailored to the highest international safety standards of school transport services, have a diverse cast of features. 95 buses of 22 seats, 20 buses of 58 seats, and 10 buses of 35 seats. The interior design of buses has superior finishing, noise-free environment and deluxe seats.

“All buses are environmentfriendly and fitted with hi-tech monitoring and tracking systems for students and buses, providing a safe and secure environment. Devices include surveillance cameras, sensing system to ensure that the bus is clear of students, an emergency button for communicating with the Control Centre, GPS tracking system for buses and students, RFID system, and an automated engine fire-suppression system.

“Current indicators show that the number of students in Dubai cross 294,000, and the registered number of school buses in Dubai were 5,922 buses up to the last year. The number of school buses are anticipated to rise to as many as 7,600 buses by 2020 and double up to 14,400 buses by 2030. RTA, which has entered the school transport business through the DTC in the school year 20152016, is seeking to raise its school bus fleet to about 650 buses by 2024,” noted Al Tayer.

RTA has set standards for entities operating in the school transport sector.