Parents complain about discrepancies in private school bus fees

Parents complained about the high and varying fees for transportation buses in private schools, expressing their shock at the large price difference in some fees, which sometimes reaches 8,500 dirhams per student annually, without transparent standards that justify this large price difference in a service that is supposed to be similar in essence.

They called for the establishment of unified regulatory standards that ensure transparency and justice, while at the same time preserving the safety of students and the rights of parents.

Emirates Today monitored, through the official websites of private schools in various emirates of the country, that the announced fees for school transportation service ranged between 4,000 and 12,500 dirhams annually per student, with a difference exceeding 8,500 dirhams between one school and another, which is a large disparity that is not accompanied by announced explanations or clear standards that justify this difference in the cost of a service that is supposed to be similar in the first place.

Parents confirmed to Emirates Today that the matter becomes more sensitive when these fees in some cases equal the entire annual tuition fees for students studying in private schools that implement the Ministry of Education’s curriculum, which raises a question about whether the cost reflects a higher quality of transportation, or an additional financial burden without a tangible improvement in the student’s daily journey.

Daily stress

The guardian of a third-grade student, Mayada Yassin, said that there is a large and shocking disparity in private school bus fees, and that waiting for the bus has become an exhausting part of the daily routine, and is sometimes deprived of the morning queue and the first period, and despite constant communication with the school administration, to ensure that the bus adheres to the scheduled times, we did not find an answer.

The parent, Ihab Ziadeh, pointed out that the fees may not reflect the quality of service, as the length of the bus route and the multiple stopping points exhaust his son mentally, and affect his academic achievement and psychological stability, stressing the importance of having a systematic timetable that governs the starting points of buses and their arrival times to and from school, pointing out the importance of reconsidering the time the bus takes during the student’s trip, especially with the presence of children who cannot bear the length of the school trip daily.

Parents: Adel Shehata, Manal Fouad, and (Abu Abdulaziz) reported that some schools violate capacity controls, and three students sit in a seat designated for two, which reduces the comfort and safety of the students.

High school students: Siraj al-Din Ammor, Abdel Moneim Muhammad, Yasser al-Najmi, and Kholoud Moaz confirmed that the return trip may extend for more than an hour and a half, which turns their school day into an additional burden, even though their families pay high bus fees.

In turn, education specialist Moatasem Abdullah spoke about the shocking disparity between yellow bus fees in private schools, explaining that the disparity is not always related to the distance or the number of trips, but rather reflects the absence of a unified financial framework that protects students and regulates the regularity of their school day.

He added that buses constitute the most important issue that concerns parents in the school community, especially since they are closely linked to the movement of students to and from school daily, and they should be available to everyone at fees that suit all groups, and this will not be achieved except with the concerted efforts of everyone in the educational field, to find effective solutions to this problem.

Operational considerations

Private school principals: Hamidan Madi, Salma Eid, and Walid Fouad Lafi, confirmed that school transportation fees are affected by multiple operational factors, including the length of distances, the number of trips, fuel and maintenance costs, salaries of drivers and supervisors, and safety requirements that differ between the emirates.

They added that urban expansion and the distribution of students impose longer paths and additional operating hours, which raises the cost, stressing that schools do not make profits from the service, and that any increase in fees requires the approval of the relevant authorities.

Reasons for the disparity

In turn, the specialist in private education affairs, Muhammad Anwar, said that this disparity in fees for school transportation services between private schools is primarily due to the difference in contract models concluded with transportation companies, as some schools adopt comprehensive contracts, while others resort to flexible or short-term contracts, which is directly reflected in the value of the fees imposed on parents.

He explained that some schools’ efforts to reduce the number of buses or reduce trips in order to reduce operational costs sometimes leads to bus overcrowding or lengthening of trip times, which negatively affects the level of service provided to students.

Anwar added that the absence of a clear mandatory framework that requires schools to detail the terms of school transportation fees, or to link those fees to measurable performance indicators such as the number of students on the bus, travel time, and the level of supervision and safety, contributes to the widening gap between the price paid and the quality of actual service.

He stressed the importance of establishing unified regulatory standards that ensure transparency and justice, while at the same time preserving the safety of students and the rights of parents, in order to achieve a sustainable balance between operational costs and the quality of the educational support service.

Direct risks

For his part, transportation expert, Mohamed Ramadan, warned that crowding inside school buses does not merely constitute an organizational challenge, but rather represents direct risks to the safety of students, as it limits the ability of supervisors to closely monitor and weakens rapid response in emergency situations.

He explained that exceeding the capacity of buses or not adhering to the assigned number of seats reflects negatively on the level of supervision, and increases the possibility of falling or injury, especially on long trips or during peak morning times and after school hours.

He added that travel time is an essential element in the quality of school transportation service, warning that prolonging travel time as a result of reducing the number of buses or poor planning affects students’ health, concentration, and readiness to learn.

He stressed that the student’s right to a safe seat and a reasonable travel time is an inherent, non-negotiable right, regardless of the value of the fees paid, stressing the need for schools and transport companies to adhere to approved standards that balance safety, operational efficiency and quality of service.

Addressing inequality

Educational expert, Amna Al-Mazmi, came up with a set of practical recommendations to address the wide disparity in school transportation fees, and stressed the importance of forming an independent body to directly supervise yellow buses, working to unify operating, safety and pricing standards, and setting indicative price ranges linked to clear factors such as distance, number of trips, and number of students.

She also stressed the importance of obliging schools to disclose in detail the transportation cost items within the contracts signed with parents, to ensure transparency and prevent unjustified fees.

She proposed linking fees to measurable performance indicators, with a mechanism to reduce fees if any school violates standards, and strengthening field oversight of buses. It also called for unifying smart tracking systems and making them available to families to follow the daily journey, and activating unified complaint channels at the federal level to receive feedback and address them quickly, ensuring equal service and quality performance among all schools.

Psychological and educational impact

The family educational advisor, Omaima Hussein, confirmed that the cost of transportation exceeds money and affects the student psychologically and educationally. Waiting and crowding exhaust the student and affect his concentration, confidence, and interaction within the classroom. Pressures accumulate daily to affect the learning experience and the student’s relationship with school.

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Reservation of school principals

Private school principals refrained from providing detailed explanations for the reasons for the discrepancy in bus fees, limiting themselves to general references to operational considerations, without clarifying pricing standards or the reasons for the large discrepancies.

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Legislative framework

School transportation in the various emirates of the country is subject to a legislative framework that specifies safety and licensing of buses and supervisors, with periodic monitoring visits. Fees are also linked to the actual cost and quality of service, and no increase is permitted without prior approval, with flexibility within general controls that allow the cost to vary between schools. The legislative framework considers transportation fees a complementary educational service that may not be exploited commercially.

Parents of students:

• Buses exceed capacity despite high fees.

Transport expert:

• Bus crowding limits the ability of supervisors to follow up on students.

School principals:

• Transportation fees are subject to operating costs and safety requirements.