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Dubai is piloting a very practical and innovative way to get students to school while reducing traffic, costs, time, and carbon emissions. The school transport pooling system was launched last week by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in partnership with Yango Group and Urban Express and is being rolled out on a trial basis. 

The concept introduces shared SUV transport for students travelling to and from nearby schools along similar neighbourhood corridors. If it succeeds, it could have far-reaching impacts on the emirate’s roads and pave the way for similar pooling services in other sectors.

Last week, a senior RTA official said that the authority aims to have 60 per cent students use shared or school transportation in the next three years. This pooling service is one of the initiatives that will support this target. 

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According to Dr. Mohamad Al Hashimi, Founder & CEO of Urban Express Transport, the pilot is the outcome of extensive research by the RTA to address key challenges such as high private vehicle usage, long student travel times, and congestion during peak hours. However, he added that the system was not intended to replace bus transport. “It is designed to operate in parallel and complement existing school transport providers by introducing a dynamic, pooled transportation model that improves overall system efficiency,” he explained.

Dr Mohamad al Hashimi

Here is everything parents need to know about the service.

How parents can sign up

Parents of students enrolled in participating schools can register their interest through Yango’s dedicated online page or via the Urban Express platform. Registrations are being onboarded on a rolling basis, with routes activated progressively based on demand, feasibility, and coordination with schools. Students are expected to begin using the service within one to two weeks of completing registration and onboarding.

“The rollout is being managed in stages to ensure service quality, clear communication with families, and smooth coordination with schools,” said Islam Abdul Karim, Regional Head of Yango Group Middle East. 

Parents whose schools or residential areas are not yet covered can still register their interest, which will be considered for future expansion planning.

Areas and schools covered in the pilot

The pilot initially focuses on high-congestion school clusters, starting with Al Barsha and surrounding neighbourhoods, where parking constraints and peak-hour traffic pressures are highest.

Dr. Al Hashimi said that schools included in the pilot phase include Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha, American School of Dubai, Bloom World Academy, Brighton College Dubai, Dubai Heights Academy, Dubai International Academy, Dubai Schools Corporation, multiple GEMS Education schools, Kings School Al Barsha, Nord Anglia International School, Repton Al Barsha, Safa Community School, and other institutions in the area

Expansion into additional communities will take place in phases, subject to demand, route feasibility, and regulatory approvals.

How are pickup, drop off and routes planned?

The service will operate using optimised, demand-based routing rather than fixed school-by-school lines. Once registrations are confirmed, students travelling along similar neighbourhood corridors are grouped into shared SUV vehicles. 

“Routes and schedules are planned in advance, aligned with school start and finish times, and monitored in real time,” said Abdul Karim. “Vehicles are assigned to defined parking zones serving several neighbouring schools, which prevents unnecessary detours and ensures journey times remain efficient and within the 60-minute limit.”

Pick-up and drop-off points are set based on neighbourhood groupings and proximity to students’ homes and timings are aligned with each school’s official schedule. During the pilot, routes and points may be fine-tuned based on operational performance and feedback from parents and schools.

Pricing model

During the pilot phase, the service is offered on a monthly subscription basis, with online payments only. An introductory monthly rate ranging between Dh800 and Dh1000 is available at launch. As of now, there is no pay-as-you-use option, as predictable attendance is essential for pooling efficiency.

However, Dr. Al Hashimi noted that term-based plans may also be evaluated as the service evolves, subject to feasibility and approvals.

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