As colleges reopen in Abu Dhabi for the 2025–26 educational yr, a significant replace in scholar transport coverage by the Division of Schooling and Information (ADEK) is taking impact, and each dad or mum must be ready. From who can choose up your little one, to whether or not they can journey a scooter to highschool, these new guidelines are detailed, safety-focused, and carry clear obligations for households. This is a breakdown of all the things you need to know as the college run begins.
Unbiased journey: Who can go solo, and when
One of the crucial important updates impacts older college students. Beginning this educational yr, college students in Cycle 3 (Grades 9–12, ages 14–18) are allowed to commute independently to and from faculty with out utilizing faculty transport. This consists of using bicycles, scooters, or different private transport — so long as sure circumstances are met. Nevertheless, dad and mom should signal an in depth consent type that confirms:
- They perceive the gap and route their little one will journey.
- They comply with adjust to
Built-in Transport Centre (ITC ) rules — together with permits, accredited pathways, and security necessities. - They settle for that faculty accountability begins solely as soon as the coed is on campus.
If a faculty does enable using private automobiles like bikes or scooters on its premises, it should present devoted infrastructure, together with tracks and parking areas. Faculties additionally retain the proper to control how and the place these are used inside the campus. Essential: The varsity isn’t chargeable for any incidents that happen whereas the coed is commuting independently — this accountability falls to the dad and mom.
Supervision, pick-up, and drop-off guidelines
For college kids below 15, unbiased journey isn’t allowed. These college students have to be picked up and dropped off by an grownup, both a dad or mum or a parent-appointed guardian. If no grownup is current on the drop-off level, the kid can be taken again to highschool in spite of everything different college students are dropped off. Nevertheless, there’s some flexibility if in case you have older kids:
- Elder siblings aged 15 or above might choose up youthful siblings (Grade 1 and above), however provided that a signed parental consent type is offered.
- This way should clearly state that:
- The dad and mom imagine the elder sibling is mature sufficient.
- The elder sibling understands the accountability.
- The varsity won’t be chargeable for any incidents associated to this association.
This method ensures that youthful kids are by no means left unsupervised throughout transit, whereas giving households a sensible choice when an grownup isn’t out there for pick-up.
College bus use – guidelines, staffing, charges, and timings
College bus use is for college kids solely
College buses are strictly reserved for scholar transportation. Nevertheless, for subject journeys, vacationer buses could also be used, so long as they meet technical and security requirements like:
- Seat belts for all passengers
- Fireplace extinguishers
- First assist kits
The utmost allowable time for a faculty bus journey is 60 minutes — from the primary pick-up level to the final drop-off. College students can solely be picked up and dropped off at pre-designated places. For college kids below 11, a bus supervisor should make sure that a dad or mum or appointed guardian is current on the drop-off level. If nobody is offered, the coed can be returned to highschool.
Obligatory bus workers and gender guidelines
Every bus carrying college students below age 11 will need to have a registered supervisor, along with a driver. Each the driving force and supervisor should maintain ITC permits.
- For mixed-gender or youthful scholar teams, the supervisor have to be feminine.
- Male supervisors might solely be assigned to older, all-boys buses.
Bus transport charges are regulated and should align with the ITC College Bus Charge Framework. Operators suggest the charge, which have to be accredited by ADEK. Any distinctive will increase require prior coordination with ITC.
Communication and on-ground security measures
Salama App and real-time updates
To assist dad and mom keep knowledgeable and reassured, colleges will use Salama — a faculty transport monitoring software developed by the Built-in Transport Centre (ITC) of Abu Dhabi. This app is designed to boost faculty bus security by providing dad and mom full visibility into their little one’s each day commute. Via Salama, dad and mom can:
- Monitor their little one’s faculty bus in real-time
- Obtain dwell standing updates on pick-up and drop-off progress
- View timestamps for when their little one boards and disembarks the bus
- Report transport-related points instantly inside the app
- Talk simply with colleges and bus operators by built-in messaging options
The bus supervisor should keep common communication with each dad and mom and the college, and is answerable for:
- Informing dad and mom/guardians of bus delays throughout pick-up and drop-off.
- Notifying the college if no guardian is current at drop-off.
- Reporting misconduct by college students to the
College Transport Coordinator . - Dealing with any points that come up throughout each day journeys.
College transport coordinator
Each faculty should appoint a College Transport Coordinator, whose contact data have to be shared with dad and mom and bus operators. This particular person is the primary contact for any concern that goes past the bus supervisor’s duties, together with:
- Delays as a result of fog or highway accidents
- Modifications to bus schedules
- Different emergency or system-wide points
On-campus site visitors administration
Faculties are required to implement site visitors management plans for protected pick-up and drop-off:
- A skilled job pressure should handle faculty site visitors throughout peak instances.
- Faculties should keep designated parking areas for each faculty buses and workers automobiles.
- Emergency and communication plans have to be recurrently up to date and shared with dad and mom.
Last notes for folks
The up to date faculty transport coverage by ADEK is not only a algorithm, it’s a framework to make sure each little one’s journey to and from faculty is protected, structured, and well-supervised. Whether or not your little one is taking the college bus, using a scooter, or getting picked up by an older sibling, there are clear expectations and shared obligations between colleges, dad and mom, and college students. To remain compliant, and guarantee your little one’s security, be sure to:
- Submit all required consent types to the college.
- Obtain and use the Salama app for monitoring.
- Comply with pick-up/drop-off protocols strictly.
- Keep in touch together with your faculty’s Transport Coordinator for updates.
