Dubai to Test Shared School Buses in Early 2026 to Reduce Traffic

Dubai is testing a new way to beat school-run traffic — and it involves sharing buses across different schools.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will roll out a school bus pooling pilot in early 2026, aiming to reduce congestion around school zones and give parents an alternative to private car drop-offs.

The pilot will be done with Yango Group and Urban Express Transport, following the signing of two agreements between the companies and RTA.

One Bus, Multiple Schools

Instead of having separate buses for each school, the idea is simple:
one shared bus serves students from multiple schools within the same area.

Students will be grouped by location, not by school name. Routes and schedules will be managed using smart tech that handles trip planning, live vehicle tracking, and operations monitoring.

According to RTA, all buses will still follow Dubai’s approved school transport safety and regulatory standards.

Why RTA Is Doing This

RTA says the number of private cars used for school drop-offs has grown fast — and it’s clogging roads every morning.

The goal of bus pooling is to:

• Reduce peak-hour traffic near schools

• Improve vehicle use

• Offer a more affordable school transport option

• Make daily commutes smoother for students and parents

RTA’s Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan said the pilot will help test new transport models that could be expanded across Dubai if successful.

Tech-Driven and Data-Based

Yango Group says school transport is one of the toughest daily mobility problems cities face.

Their role in the project focuses on data-driven routing, grouping students who travel along similar routes and placing them on optimised schedules to avoid unnecessary trips.

Urban Express Transport added that the project aims to improve bus efficiency while making daily travel more comfortable for students.

Part of a Bigger Traffic Plan

This pilot isn’t happening in isolation.

In recent years, Dubai has already:

• Approved policies to encourage school bus use

• Completed traffic upgrades around 37+ schools

• Improved peak-hour traffic flow near schools by up to 20%

• Targeted a 13% traffic improvement through school transport policies

If the pooling pilot works, it could become another permanent tool in Dubai’s traffic-fighting playbook.