Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled the design of new school buses to be operated by the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) in the upcoming academic year.
The DTC will launch the service with 50 buses, with plans to increase the fleet to 650 buses by 2024.
The new buses will be fitted with features like hydraulic suspension systems to enable smooth entry and exit from the vehicles; a remote control and tracking system; and a navigation system compatible with Dubai Municipality’s geographical addressing system, Makani.
The engines on the buses will be compatible with Euro 4 and 5 diesel specifications.
In addition, the school buses will be equipped with features such as surveillance cameras, tracking systems, text message services to inform parents of safe arrival of their children, as well as optional Wi-Fi services for interested schools, said Ahmed Khalfan Al Suwaidi, executive director of the DTC.
There are currently 253,000 students in Dubai, out of which 60% currently use school buses, said Matter Al Tayer, RTA Chairman. The authority is looking at raising this figure to 70%, he added.
