This comes after complaints from parents that some students were spending more than two hours a day on school buses
Complaints from parents that some students were spending more than two hours a day on school buses were raised at the Federal National Council (FNC) on Tuesday, prompting the UAE Minister of Education to outline new limits on school transport journey times.
FNC member Naama Abdullah Al Sharhan told the council that students in some cases were remaining on school buses for two hours or longer, raising concerns about student wellbeing and daily fatigue.
In response, Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri said the maximum permitted journey time is now capped at 45 minutes for kindergarten students and 60 minutes for all other pupils. She added that the Ministry of Education has no recorded data showing any bus route officially exceeding two hours.
Al Amiri said compliance with the approved time limits reached 98.5 per cent during the first term of the current academic year, describing the result as a significant improvement compared to previous years. She noted that the school transport system has achieved a 50 per cent reduction in average journey times.
The minister acknowledged that limited exceptions may occur on certain days due to circumstances beyond the ministry’s control, such as traffic accidents or adverse weather conditions.
She also pointed to operational challenges affecting transport efficiency, particularly late student registration by parents, which she said can significantly disrupt the planning of bus routes.
According to Al Amiri, the ministry conducts regular reviews of bus routes and has created a dedicated transport quality unit within its organisational structure to monitor daily operations and address complaints related to school transportation.
Concerns over school transport duration have increasingly featured in FNC discussions, amid broader calls to improve service quality and safeguard student welfare across the education system.
© Khaleej Times
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