'Smart Bus' Programme Launched in the UAE

Parents of pupils from public schools across the UAE will soon be able to monitor their progress to and from school in real-time thanks to a new technology programme launched yesterday. Emirates Transport announced that they had completed a pilot programme which involved 15 buses equipped with smart tracking system.

The system helps in route planning, alerts drivers and operators if the vehicle veers from the route and contacts parents a few minutes before the scheduled pick up or drop of their children.

From the beginning of the next academic year, in September 2013, around 50 per cent of the 3,200 buses will be equipped with cameras, while the rest will be completed  by the end of  the 2013/14 academic year.

While the programme has been designed specifically for public schools, Emirates Transport is actively touting the benefits of its in-house developed system to private schools.  Many private schools in the UAE already have buses equipped with tracking technology.  Principals of private schools, however, can expect to receive a phone call from the sales division of Emirates Transport eager to show off the benefits of their new system.