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We’ve REBRANDED! New Identity. Same Values

Brand, Education in UAE, GCC, Schools in UAE, Securi Tech Services, Staff & Tourism, STS Group, sts uae

We are proud to share that we are now STS Group.

Our business has undergone significant transformation over the past years. The new name strengthens what we have always been known for, while simultaneously moving the brand forward to unify all our transport and technical services under one identity, STS Group. Apart from the new name we have also launched a new website portal. While this may seem like a big change, you can rest assured that our core values haven’t changed at all. Our commitment to everything we do, from the way we interact with our customers, colleagues, and community to the services we provide, continue to be centered around the values of being Safe, Timely, Smart. With these core principles instilled in our culture, the STS Group is confident in delivering on its promises each and every day.

“At STS Group, we are passionate about creating an atmosphere of empowerment and growth,” said Steve Burnell, managing director of STS Group. “We lead the way forward with the STS way of life. Having set new standards and benchmarks for safety and excellence of service quality, STS Group is a symbol of strength and distinction reflected in the way we work,” he added. STS Group offers a broad spectrum of transport and technical services for the education and corporate business sectors. Our current portfolio includes some of the most respected and influential transport brands in the region.

School Transport Services

STS Group operates two school transport brands across the UAE; School Transport Services and Bright Bus Transport. Both companies take pride in being the UAE’s leading private school transport operators. By enabling more than 80,000 students with Safe, Timely, Smart transport, we have transformed the way the community experiences the school bus journey.

Securi Tech Services

Securi Tech Services delivers the highest quality security solutions across the GCC. We provide full security systems including CCTV systems, smart vehicle systems with GPS tracking, complete building security, automation and safety solutions for schools, vehicles, retail, and government entities. These systems are installed and managed in a Safe, Timely, Smart manner by a team of fully trained and licensed technicians.

Staff & Tourism Services

Staff & Tourism Services enables corporate clients and private parties with Safe, Timely, Smart transport services. We have an extensive fleet of luxury coaches, buses, minibuses, and minivans, equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that support the critical role of customer safety and comfort.

STS Auto Services

STS Auto Services provides total care solutions for fleet maintenance to private and corporate customers. By supporting the transport sector with Safe, Timely, Smart maintenance services, we have achieved an enviable reputation for engineering excellence through quality of service. STS Auto Services facilities operate from four strategically positioned technical sites across the UAE.

STS’s Vaccination Drive Creates Positive Impact on Bus Ridership

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School Transport Services LLC (STS) has always prioritised its passengers and employees’ health and safety. Being a responsible transport operator, STS actively supported and encouraged all of its 3,000 employees to be proactive about their personal safety and hygiene, keeping in mind the large part of the educational environment that most STS employees work within.

The UAE’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has and remains world-leading, which has helped STS ensure that its employees have access to a positive vaccination programme. STS has continually focused on the welfare of its employees, promoted the vaccine programme, and worked closely with the health authorities to ensure that the employees are provided with the available levels of protection.

“The safety and well-being of students, employees, and everyone we engage with will always be our priority,” said Steve Burnell, Managing Director of STS. “Our proactive approach to employee health and everyone we engage with, combined with our vaccine programme, means that 100% of eligible employees will have received the vaccine by the time the schools reopen for the new term in April,” he said.

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, STS worked tirelessly with the education community and regulatory bodies by introducing the Back-to-the-Bus Safety Protocol. This ensured that the highest safety and protection standards were in place to assure parents that the school bus is the safest form of getting to and from school every day. Whilst the number of students returning to school post lockdown was low, the number of students returning to the school bus has increased month on month.

Combined with the successful vaccination drive at STS and in schools, these safety efforts have shown tremendous confidence amongst parents and now choosing the bus for their child’s attendance at school. Whilst each bus is currently restricted to 50% seating capacity, the returning students using STS transport are continually rising and are three times what they were late last year.

“The steady rise in bus ridership is an incredible achievement for all of us. Students returning to the school bus will have a positive impact on the environment and will reduce traffic congestion around school zones in the long run.” said Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of Road Safety UAE.

Another factor contributing to the steady rise in students choosing STS is their bus fleet, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies designed to keep students safe. One of the latest features onboard is the Driver Fatigue Camera, which consists of a driver-facing live camera mounted on the dashboard. This system utilises pupil identification technology and analyses the driver’s facial features to detect fatigue indicators and behaviour such as eye blink rate, mobile phone use and oral intake.

“STS’s superior fatigue detection system is not affected by the presence of personal protective equipment such as face masks and face shields. STS has continued investing in these systems over the past 12 months through the COVID period,” said Chidambaram Gunaseelan, Head of IT at STS.

Other smart technologies in the bus include RFID Student Tracking, Motion Sensors, STS App, Route Optimisation, Child Check Monitors, Alert Button, CCTV Surveillance Systems and GPS Tracking.

All safety measures introduced over the past year are part of STS’s holistic approach towards student safety and reflect their core values of Safe, Timely, Smart. The increase in the school bus ridership and transport registration for the new school term is a positive step towards normalisation, a proud moment for STS, with its people taking the initiative and inspiring a safety-driven community mindset.

STS at School Events

bus drivers, bus guardians, DEWA, Education in UAE, Education solutions, environmental consciousness, green practices, new days new ways, new school year, new term, road safety, Road safety rules, RTA, safe practices, safe system, safe timely smart, Safety first, Safety systems, School bus, School bus safety, school transport, school transport services, Schools in UAE, smart bus, smart bus dubai, Smart bus technology, smart bus uae, smart safety bus, smart safety bus dubai, smart safety bus uae, sts, sts dubai, sts smart bus, sts smart safety bus, sts uae, TRA, Tracking systems, transport staff, we are sustainable

Every year, STS looks forward to joining in the fun and engaging directly with parents and students at school celebrations. Many of you are already familiar with our Super Driver mascot, who brings along with him the STS Smart Bus, packed with educational games and goodie bags for students. This year, we can’t wait for you to meet our Super Guardian mascot!

Please do visit the STS kiosk at the school festivals in the upcoming year. It is a great platform for us to get to know you better. Our team will be available on site to conduct road safety workshops and take you through our services. Here is a glimpse of all the spring festivals and winter carnivals we attended last year.

Take Your School Bus Experience To The Next Level

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The STS App makes the school bus experience more convenient for the parent community. Many of the parents in the STS family are already using the mobile application for their child’s transport.

This year, we made a few modifications to the STS App. In addition to all the previous features, you can now do so much more. The App’s pop up feature allows you to see our new safety protocols that are being implemented in school buses for the start of the new academic year. The new and improved STS App is loaded with some great features.

Student details and contact information of the Service Delivery Executive at each school, can be accessed without internet connection.
The Registration Form now includes a location map that highlights existing meeting points in your area, allowing you to choose between them or select a location point of your choice.
Fee Payments feature includes Google Pay and Apple Pay options in addition to the existing Credit Card option.
Sign undertakings and forms directly on the App. Report and claim lost items on the school bus.
Request to change your registered transport area. Register your child’s special needs and medical conditions.
View details of offers and promotions, register and make payments all in one place.
Register to receive email notifications on the latest offers and promotions.
Provide feedback on the service team’s performance.

We are constantly innovating the STS App to ensure our customers benefit from a seamless school bus experience. Download the STS App and travel with us today!

Our Sustainability Efforts: Route Optimisation with PTV

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Adopting route optimisation software is another one of our efforts in being sustainable. The transport assist software distributes optimised routes across available vehicles, thereby improving journeys.

The software is a great asset to STS’s OCC team as it lets us create and monitor complex schedules, vehicle categories and multiple drop-offs and pick-ups, in a timely and efficient manner.

Efficient Route Management

All of STS’s buses are monitored and managed around-the-clock by STS’s OCC team. One of the key functions of the OCC’s route management team is to evaluate existing bus routes on a regular basis, to be able to provide our customers with timely transport and reasonable travel time.

The PTV Route Optimiser software, unlocks the full potential of the STS fleet. It supports our transport plans by combining designated meeting points into optimal routes that reduce mileage and resources. It is easily integrated into the OCC’s software infrastructure, enabling dispatchers to forward routes to drivers.

Route management through the software allows for efficient route preparation and planning which are vital for efficient service delivery. The software also generates estimated arrivals (ETAs) for bus journeys and provides notifications in case of possible delays, allowing STS to be more reliable and transparent with our customers, especially for parents that use the STS App.

The PTV Route Optimiser supports route planning by:

Optimally distributing designated stops to available vehicles.
Suggesting the best sequence of stops.
Calculating optimised driving routes.
Increasing overall transport efficiency and fleet utilisation.

Along with being instrumental to our logistical planning, the PTV Route Optimiser software is a part of STS’s sustainability in the workplace initiative. Being environmentally focussed, we are continuously on the look out for new ways of doing things. By enabling more efficient bus routes and reducing the running time for our vehicles, the software helps us reduce our carbon footprint.

School Principals’ Message to STS Staff

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In April this year, STS created a heartful video message addressing the support staff community, to tell them that they were constantly in our hearts and minds. We brought together principals of over 20 schools to record their thoughts, wishes and messages for our bus drivers and bus guardians.

Speaking on behalf of the school staff and the students, the principals told the drivers and guardians that were being missed and encouraged them to focus on their health and wellbeing. Urging them to stay home and stay safe, the video echoed sentiments shared by the government and healthcare professionals as we continued to fight the viral outbreak.

Standing in solidarity with the local authorities, STS sought to keep the employee morale high during the difficult times and advised the staff to keep a positive attitude, reminding them that we would all be back together very soon.

The video, put together to create a positive and hopeful vibe, received an overwhelming response from staff members. STS’s social media platforms were flooded with tremendously positive posts and comments. The video reached well over 20,000 members of the community within days of being posted and was shared over 160 times on Facebook alone!

STS’s Said Rehman Talks About Combating COVID

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At the onset of the COVID outbreak in February and March this year, STS enacted numerous control measures within our offices and accommodation centres, to minimise risks and the virus spread. We provided our employees with critical supplies required to protect their health and safety.

Our very own transport staff member, Said Rahman, who has been with STS for over 14 years, was featured in a newspaper article, that described the safety measures and the state of affairs in the UAE.

“Everyone is worried about the spread of Covid-19 and so am I. But I feel much safer here in the UAE than in my home country as we are well taken care of. We have been given sanitisation kits from an NGO here and our employer is also creating timely awareness by giving us regular instructions. All this has helped us stay calm and safe,” Rahman told Khaleej Times.

“Apart from providing us free Iftar meals and other necessary items required to maintain hygiene, our company and an NGO have been holding regular awareness sessions where we are being educated on how to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and how to maintain hygiene standards. Of course, masks and gloves are now part of our everyday life. If I were in my country, probably, I would not receive this level of care and high safety standards. Also, we feel blessed that we have been receiving salaries even when we are not working these days as schools are closed. Work is affected adversely but our employers are seeing to it that we are able to provide for our families back in our hometown,” he added.

Stuff the Mind Campaign

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Every year during the holy month of Ramadan, STS organises its CSR initiative, ‘Stuff the Bus’ campaign, encouraging schools and businesses across the UAE to donate school items, educational supplies, toys and goodies for less-fortunate children.

This year, with heavy restrictions on movement and social gatherings, we decided to strengthen the sense of belonging across the STS family by launching a new ‘Stuff the Mind’ campaign.

This campaign was conceptualised with the aim of creating a post-pandemic shift in mindset, inspiring a new approach to one’s wellbeing that will go beyond the global crisis.

In order to get the message across to the local community, we put together the ‘Stuff the Mind Campaign’ video with our staff members and students adopting healthy and hygienic practices. To ensure the campaign gained traction, we encouraged our social media followers to post videos of themselves and their families practicing these healthy habits.

After the overwhelming response to the campaign, we put together the ‘Stuff the Mind Impact’ video of families who enthusiastically embraced the initiative, and integrated healthy and hygienic practices into their daily routine.

Watch our Stuff the Mind Campaign video and Stuff the Mind Impact video on our official YouTube channel: School Transport Services.
1. Stuff the Mind Campaign
2. Stuff the Mind Impact

STS’s Female Bus Drivers

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Meet our female bus drivers, Suja and Susan.

As an equal opportunity employer, STS has always encouraged female staff members to pursue their dream of driving a bus.

We are thrilled to introduce our first batch of female bus drivers who have successfully completed their training and are on the road.

With strong role models like Suja and Susan paving the way forward, STS is proud to be enabling aspirants to take up the driver’s role.

STS’s First Female Driver

In a sector that has been dominated for years by one gender, we introduced the equal opportunity employment policy across levels of work. This policy was implemented in letter and spirit, when we recruited Suja Thankachan, the UAE’s first female heavy bus driver.

Suja who hails from Kerala, India, was a bus driver back at home. Today, she is an officially certified heavy bus driver here in the UAE, all the way across the Arabian sea and is proud to have fulfilled her dream of driving all kinds of vehicles. It is so inspiring to learn that she never gave up on her dreams and got back behind the wheel. Upon learning her story and her dreams, STS encouraged her to make her way up to the driver’s seat. She has now completed training in all aspects of being a safe bus driver.

Saritha Daya, the Human Resources Assistant Manager at STS said, “After Suja’s success story of breaking the perception of impossibility, many of our female staff members have approached us to help them pursue their dream of becoming a heavy bus driver. To support them in this journey, we have arranged corporate discounts with our driving school partners. We have also identified a clear career path for highly motivated candidates, and intend to develop a platoon of female bus drivers. We are encouraging our bus guardians to come forward and make use of this opportunity.”

“I believe that women hold the key to changing in the world, and this is a great opportunity to inspire such a positive change,” she added.

With Suja as a strong role model, paving the way forward for many like her, the HR team at STS intends to make her a brand ambassador of its equal opportunity practices, encouraging others to take up the driver’s role.

Transport Partner to Danish U19 Rugby Team

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STS became the official transport partner to the Danish under-19 Rugby Team during the 20th international edition of the World Rugby Sevens Series in December 2019.

Participating in Dubai Sevens was only possible due to the support of STS and we highly appreciated your support. Before, during and after the tournament the communication and service has been flawless through a great STS team performance highlighted by the punctuality of the drivers. We give our highest recommendation to STS and look forward to using your service in 2020,” said the U19 Team Manager, Jens Holger.

STS Tours Exhibitions Across the UAE

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All year around our Smart Safety Bus takes part in exhibitions and expos across the UAE. STS was privileged to be invited to be part of the following celebrated events in the past year.

Serco Road Safety Awareness Day, October 2019

Serco Middle East hosted its 4th Road Safety Awareness Day in partnership with RoadSafetyUAE to improve road safety.

Gulf Traffic, December 2019

As the region’s biggest platform for sourcing traffic, transportation and parking solutions, Gulf Traffic offers opportunities to increase brand visibility in the Middle East.

WETEX Dubai, October 2019

An important platform for national and international companies, providing access to the latest technologies and solutions in the areas of water, energy and environment.

GESS Dubai, March 2020

The 13th edition of the exhibition brought together local and international educational suppliers showcasing the latest educational products and solutions.

Smart Safety Bus at GEMS Road Safety Week

The Traffic Department at the RTA in partnership with STS facilitated a Road Safety campaign for GEMS Education in February 2020. Week-long workshops for the student community were conducted to spread awareness on road safety protocols and traffic principles. The campaign was aimed at creating a positive change in the society and inspiring a culture of safety within the community by advocating road safety to students in a unique and interactive way.

Deema Hussein, Traffic Awareness Senior Manager, Traffic Department at the RTA, said, “Working hand in hand with STS on Road Safety Week will help us achieve a safer driving environment for all road users. We extend our efforts, through this campaign, to change the mindset of the youth and how they think and act about road safety. We aim to educate them on responsible safety habits, which are an integral component in developing Dubai’s road infrastructure to being truly world-class.”

Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director, RoadsafetyUAE said, “Nearly 60% of road fatalities in the UAE happen due to non-use of seat belts. We must educate our children about safe behaviour as early as possible.”

During the Road Safety Week, several activities such as workshops, awareness camps, debates and competitions were carried out across numerous GEMS schools.

GEMS Wellington School, Al Khail.

GEMS Metropole School, Motor City.

GEMS Wellington Primary School.

GEMS New Millennium School, Al Khail.

GEMS National School for Boys.

GEMS National School for Girls.

Our Own English High School Sharjah Boys.

Paul Slater, Vice President Health and Safety at GEMS Education said, “It is important that students learn about road safety from a very early age. Children can play an important role in influencing their parents, siblings, friends and family. Through this awareness campaign, we hope that students learn the importance of wearing seat belts and road safety in general and take the message beyond the school and home to the community at large.”

In effort to ensure continued awareness and learning towards road safety, we appointed student Safety Ambassadors during the workshop. The ambassadors received a safety badge and certificate, making them responsible for advocating road and transport safety to their peers, teachers and parents. The success of our endeavour was reflected in the students taking up a safety pledge after the tour that will prompt them to treat road safety management critically.

Steve Burnell, Managing Director at STS said, “As an important strategic service partner to the education community, it is our responsibility to continuously educate road safety habits among students and the broader community. We are thankful to all our partners who came forward in driving the road safety message and making this campaign a success.”

Being a recipient of the coveted Innovation Product Award by GESS Education Awards has strengthened STS’s resolve to expand the Smart Safety Bus initiative to all corners of the country. Going forward, plans are underway to link student participation and their takeaway from the programme to their school’s credit system and house points.

Social Causes Supported by STS

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Every year, STS takes on social causes to affect positive change in the lives of the community.

Here is a look at the CSR activities that we undertook last year.

Smart Band

In October 2019, STS provided support sponsorship for Smart Life Foundation’s Smart Band event, where talented singers and dancers from labour camps across Dubai were brought together and mentored to compete for the championship title. The winning champions then performed in a non-competitive platform. The objective of this programme was to work closely with blue-collar workers and contribute towards improving their quality of life.

Smart Cup

In November 2019, STS took part in the Smart Cup Cricket For A Cause tournament by Smart Life Foundation, where participating teams of blue and white-collar staff members took part in games. The funds generated from the event were used to support education of children of blue-collar workers.

Jingles

During the months of November and December 2019, STS managed transport services for Jingles, a campaign organised under the supervision of The Emirates Red Crescent. This initiative involved Christmas caroling to raise funds for medical treatments of children diagnosed with cancer.

Annual Clean Up Campaign

In December 2019, STS volunteered in the Emirates Environmental Group’s nationwide Clean Up UAE campaign to empower the community to preserve and protect the environment.

STS All Set To Welcome Students Back to the School Bus

As the leading private operator for school transport in the UAE, the eve of a new school term is our busiest time of the year. With schools opening after the break, STS has been preparing to welcome students back to the bus.

STS has always complied with a strict approach to preventive and corrective maintenance of our fleet of over 2,500 school buses. Even when schools remained closed, our buses undergo periodic maintenance, regular deep cleaning and sanitisation.

Our bus drivers and bus guardians were previously educated on safety management, hygienic practices, and the proper method and frequency of hand sanitisation. Briefing sessions on the spread of viral infections was conducted for our service delivery executives, team leaders, foremen and other staff members. Advisory videos in English and Hindi were provided for all of our teams to cultivate a mindset of hygiene control measures and preventive actions in accordance with the standards expected by the government and regulatory bodies.

During the school term, in addition to our standard protocol, our buses will undergo pre-trip and post-trip sanitisation with a minimum of two vehicle inspections in a day. A detailed bus and school sanitisation plan has been initiated in preparation for start of term. STS would like to assure you that your school bus journey will always be Safe, Timely, Smart.

Preparing for the New Term

As we gear up to welcome students back into the school bus for the new academic term, we have introduced transport safety protocols for our staff and students.

We are adhering to guidelines set by schools and regulatory agencies, such as KHDA, RTA, SPEA, ADEK and the DoT.

Training programmes have been conducted for bus drivers and bus guardians on awareness and implementation of the new measures and guidelines.

We are monitoring the wellbeing of staff members through our care to share programme and temperature checks at our staff accommodation.

Watch our videos on our official YouTube channel: School Transport Services.
1. School Bus Sanitisation Protocol
2. Back to the Bus Safety Protocol

Superheroes of STS

Meet our mascots, the superheroes of STS, Super Driver and Super Guardian!

As we commence a new academic term, we are excited to unveil the new look of our official mascots. Super Driver and Super Guardian can be seen wearing our brand colours and are designed to embody our core values of being Safe, Timely, Smart.

These mascots exemplify our commitment towards child safety during school transport and our efforts towards cultivating a safety-driven mindset within the community. They personify employees and staff members of the STS family, who work tirelessly to ensure that all safety protocols and guidelines to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all those on board our school buses.

Get ready to interact with Super Driver and Super Guardian at your next school event!

STS’s Technology-driven Smart Bus

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At STS, student safety lies at the heart of everything we do and built around this ethos, is STS’s Smart Bus. Geared with state-of-the-art technologies, STS’s Smart Buses house some truly unique functions designed to keep students safe at all times. More than 3,100 Smart Buses operate within the UAE.

Let’s get on board to understand how its features work.

CCTV SURVEILLANCE

STS’s Smart Buses are all equipped with CCTV surveillance systems that consist of a seven-camera set up. Four external cameras are placed on the bus’s exteriors to view its immediate surroundings. Three internal cameras cover the bus door, front and last rows of the bus. This surveillance system ensures video coverage of all parts of the bus.

The feed from all seven cameras can be viewed in real time, on the driver’s screen and in the Operations Control Centre (OCC). The video footage is backed up and stored in a Mobile Digital Video Recorder (MDVR) for up to ninety days.

ADAS CAMERAS

These front facing cameras are a recent addition to the Smart Bus. As part of the bus’s Advanced Driver Assistance Safety system (ADAS) aides and warns drivers on the road by enabling a visual safety net around the bus, reducing the risk of collisions.

DRIVER’S DASHBOARD

The driver’s dashboard hosts numerous controls and levers but the main feature here is the LED screen that displays feed from the CCTV surveillance system in real time. Of the seven internal and external cameras, the screen shows videos of four cameras at a time, which the driver can manually select. Accompanying the screen is a radio walkie that lets the driver establish direct contact with the OCC team.

ALERT BUTTON

In case of an emergency, such as a road accident or a flat tire, the driver can sound the Alert Button on the driver’s dashboard, which will register an immediate alert with the OCC, enabling the them to find the best way to assist the driver.

GPS TRACKING

Global Positioning Systems on all our Smart Buses is the key element that allows real time tracking of STS’s fleet. This information is programmable and is constantly recorded in the MDVR. In addition to contributing to student safety, the GPS tracking assists the OCC team in developing route plans and optimising journey times for buses.

DRIVER FATIGUE CAMERA

One of the Smart Buses many unique features, is the fatigue detection system. It consists of a driver-facing camera, mounted on the driver’s dashboard with a full view of his face and eyes.

The camera utilizes pupil identification technology to analyze the driver’s blink rate. It picks up other fatigue indicating behavior such as yawning and head drooping. Behaviour such as mobile usage and oral intake also trigger warnings. The system maintains a video record for each alert, for post incident analysis and evaluation.

RFID SYSTEM

This encrypted data is more reliable and secure than traditional barcode scanners and can be continuously monitored in real time by the OCC. Parents can monitor bus arrival and departure timings and real time information on their ward through the STS Smart App.

CHILD CHECK BUTTON

All Smart Buses have a Child Check Button installed on the back wall. Once the driver turns off the engine, he manually checks each row of the bus to ensure no one has been left behind. He presses the Child Check button as a sign of having completed his safety check.

This feature is especially useful when it comes to nursery children who tend to fall asleep during long bus rides. It acts as a safety net to ensure that no child gets left behind.

MOTION SENSOR

Upon detection of movement, the sensor immediately alerts the OCC. This allows the OCC team to take immediate action such as informing parents and establishing contact with the child through the driver’s radio walkie. An STS bus guardian is arranged to receive the child and only upon their arrival does the OCC team open the bus doors.

All Smart Bus’s safety checks and measures are managed and monitored by the OCC, the nexus of our operations. This team works around-the-clock, responds immediately to all alerts and notifications, and collates information generated by the Smart Bus. The information gathered across the OCC’s screens are turned into weekly, monthly and annual reports which form the basis of all operations related decision making for the company.

The Smart Bus embodies STS’s commitment towards Safe, Timely, Smart transportation and cultivates a safety-driven mindset within the community.

Leading STS Through the COVID-19 Crisis

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The coronavirus outbreak has presented unprecedented challenges to the global economy, all the while raking up much mayhem about it. Nonetheless, it is a serious epidemic that requires companies to undertake diverse control measures to ensure the safety and welfare of the community.

School Transport Services LLC (STS) being a leading private operator of safe and reliable school transportation services for schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, deals with children between the ages of three and seventeen on a daily basis. With the health and well being of these children in our hands, we have been proactively assessing the situation, keeping abreast with changing laws and events unfolding worldwide.

Our senior management, together with our QHSE team carried out risk assessment at a corporate level and for our transport operations, in accordance with which, designed an efficient response strategy.

Here’s our perspective on the evolving situation.

STS has maintained a strong communication channel with all key constituents, our employees, staff members, stakeholders and the parent community. A briefing session was conducted for service delivery executives, team leaders and foremen. Basic awareness and information on the disease was provided through videos created in English and Hindi.

Watch them here:

In addition to these awareness videos, our Managing Director, Steve Burnell, sent out a personalized video message to all our department heads and supervisors across the UAE, instructing them on preventive measures to be implemented, suggested behaviours to be observed within teams and urging them to remain calm and keep a clear head while navigating these uncertain times.

A detailed bus-wise and school-wise sanitisation plan was then shared with team leaders which was then cascaded down to the operations level. Checklists of the process for sanitisation and disinfestation of our fleet of 3,100 school buses were shared and implemented across all of STS’s bus garages.

Take a look here:

Operationally, we have had to overcome logistical challenges with regards to materials procurement and manpower deployment to carry out the sanitisation process. Our biggest strength through this journey has been our pre-existing, framework for maintaining hygiene, sanitisation and safety standards. This ensured that we were well-equipped to raise to the occasion, react cautiously and be truly effective in the face of minimal notice to plan and implement precautionary action and measures as per updates from the Ministry of Health and Prevention. We are proud to have handled this situation effectively and with minimal disruption to our daily operations.

Upon successful implementation, continuous monitoring and supervision is being carried out by our line managers and HR personnel. On the corporate front, presentations and memos with regular updates on the developing circumstances have been circulated via employee engagement platforms. Travel policies have now been updated to accommodate rapidly changing laws and impositions. Mandating travel declaration forms and conducting medical checks for staff returning from virus-infected red zones of the world, as well as health checks at unit levels and staff accommodation are being carried out.

Leading through this onerous state-of-affairs, our prime focus has been enabling children with safe, timely and smart transportation to and from school.

Get On Board the SMARTER Safety Bus

The Smart Safety Bus underwent a massive technological upgrade, take a tour with us.

Geared with state-of-the-art technologies, the Smart Safety Bus houses some truly unique capabilities such designed to keep students safe at all times. The Smart Safety Bus has gotten a whole lot smarter in 2020. Along with its previous features such as GPS tracking, CCTV surveillance systems, Alert Button and Child Check Button, 3 new enhancements were recently introduced: Driver Fatigue Camera, RFID System and Motion Sensor technologies.

DRIVER FATIGUE CAMERA

One of the Smart Buses many unique features, is the fatigue detection system. It consists of a driver-facing camera, mounted on the driver’s dashboard with a full view of his face and eyes. The camera utilizes pupil identification technology to analyze the driver’s blink rate. It picks up other fatigue indicating behavior such as yawning and head drooping. Behaviour such as mobile usage and oral intake also trigger warnings.

The camera is accompanied by an R-watch, mounted on windshield, that acts as an early warning system delivering audio messages to the driver to rectify risky behaviour and notifies the Operations Control Centre of the same. The system maintains a video record for each alert, for post incident analysis and evaluation.

RFID SYSTEM

Installed near the driver’s seat in all our Smart Buses, is an RFID scanner. Designated students of each bus are issued RFID cards, which are scanned when they get on and off the bus, enabling our Operations Control Centre to track student movement. This encrypted data is more reliable and secure than traditional bar code scanners and can be continuously monitored in real time by the Operations Control Centre. Parents can monitor bus arrival and departure timings and real time information on their ward through the STS Smart App.

MOTION SENSOR

Our Smart Buses are equipped with passive motion sensors that are activated when the vehicle is isolated. These sensors detect even the slightest body movement. They add an additional level of security to the Child Check Button feature of the bus. Upon detection of movement, the sensor immediately alerts the Operations Control Centre. This allows the Operations Control Centre team to take immediate action such as informing parents and establishing contact with the child through the driver’s radio walkie.

With these technological boosts the Smart Safety Bus reinforces its commitment towards safe, timely and smart transportation to and from school.

Dubai Chamber CSR Label Honours STS

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The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry honoured 35 companies for their corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts during a recognition ceremony held on 9th March 2020.

The CSR label is the highest benchmark for CSR and sustainability efforts, which companies in the region aspire to acknowledged by. 377 Dubai Chamber CSR Labels have been awarded to businesses since its launch in 2010. This hounour enhances the recipient’s reputation in the market and sets an example for the rest of the business community.

Receiving this revered recognition for the fourth time in a row, throws light on STS’s strong commitment towards social responsibility and measures taken to integrate CSR into the heart of the company’s operations. We have a robust health and safety system in place to ensure the well being of our people, with initiatives like Driver Classroom Training, Behind the Wheel Training, Risk Assessment Training and training courses to certify mental health counselors to create a conducive and supporting work environment.

Being environmentally conscious, STS has taken numerous measures to reduce carbon footprint, e-waste recycling, testing of bio fuels. One of the main areas of focus has been our volunteering efforts to support our community partners such as Smart Life Foundation and Emirates Environment group.

We would like to thank the Dubai Chamber for creating a framework for enhancing our CSR performance and evaluating and our CSR journey. The recent addition of new categories such as Workplace, Marketplace, Community and Environment categories under the Dubai Chamber CSR Label framework is encouraging to companies of the region, to improve CSR practices and maximise social impact.

This honour has allowed us to create a road map for the future and where we will be aiming to focus our efforts on strengthening employee welfare policies and practices and integrating people of determination into our workforce.

Smart Safety Bus: Journey So Far

Hop on the Smart Safety Bus, STS’s Classroom on Wheels, a 50-seater bus remodeled to deliver lessons on Road Safety!

School Transport Services has always advocated and pursued the promotion of road safety management through unique educational campaigns. Standing firm in the belief that Safety Does Not Happen By Accident and that stringent safety standards can be achieved only when awareness campaigns are regularly deployed, STS designed the Smart Safety Bus initiative to edutain young minds. This new approach of educating while entertaining has proven to be a more engaging experience than traditional means of instruction.

The Smart Safety Bus is an age appropriate engagement platform to teach and edutain children from nursery through secondary schools. This is done in both Arabic and English. The purpose-built Smart Safety Bus offers a mix of 3D simulation games, puzzles, multiple choice questions that make learning easy and fun.

Students learn the importance of traffic safety principles and how to identify potential hazards through educational videos via the Interactive Wall feature of the bus. Their learning is assessed by way of Q&A’s and quizzes. Children can enjoy a simulated driving experience with the Super Driver game or a practical experience of buckling up for safety, with the Seat Belt game.

The outdoor Danger-Zone Awareness Mat highlights the hazardous spots in and around the bus that automatically sound off alarms. All smart devices and screens are powered by solar energy, making it a sustainable vehicle.

In effort to ensure continued awareness and learning towards road safety, the programme appoints a Little Safety Ambassador from the group. The ambassador receives a safety badge and certificate, making them responsible for advocating road and transport safety to their peers, teachers and parents. The success of the Smart Safety Bus programme is reflected in the students taking a safety pledge after the tour, that prompts them to the importance of road safety management.

Being a recipient of the coveted Innovation Product Award by GESS Education Awards has strengthened our resolve to expand the initiative to all corners of the country.

Set in motion in early 2019, it is astonishing how far this initiative has come along in just one year. So far we have achieved,

6 exhibition visits

47 school visits

22,463 safety pledges have been signed

1,129 Little Safety Ambassadors have been appointed

Going forward, plans are underway to link students’ participation and their takeaways from the programme to their school’s credits system and house points. This is being done to encourage them to focus on traffic safety as an ongoing responsibility.

To book a ride a ride on the Smart Safety Bus click here.

Smart Safety Bus Named Innovative Product of the Year

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STS’s Wins Innovative Product at GESS Awards

School Transport Services LLC, 26th February 2020

It was a proud and momentous night for the School Transport Services family when our Smart Safety Bus initiative won the prestigious Innovation Product Award at the 7th Annual GESS Education Awards 2020, in Dubai.

We are honoured and humbled to have received this accolade of excellence, for it acknowledges STS’s commitment and drive towards advocating and advancing road safety education for the UAE populace. Created as a part of the extended classroom programme for the student community, STS devised and designed its first-ever sustainable product, the Smart Safety Bus.

An innovative and interactive learning platform geared at cultivating a safety-driven mindset. The Smart Safety Bus is an age appropriate engagement platform that teaches and instructs children from nursery through secondary schools. This is done in both Arabic and English.

This purpose-built Smart Safety Bus offers 3D simulation games, puzzles, multiple choice questions that make learning easy and fun. Students learn the importance of traffic safety principles and how to identify potential hazards through educational videos via the Interactive Wall feature of the bus. Their learning is assessed by way of Q&As and quizzes. Children can enjoy a simulated driving experience with the Super Driver game or a practical experience of buckling up for safety, with the Seat Belt game.

GESS awards celebrate the education industry’s brightest assets, and this recognition puts us at the very forefront of the education sector in the UAE. The GESS Education Award in the Innovation category highlights educational products and services that are unique and impactful, demonstrating STS’s original and ahead-of-the curve thinking.

Watch the GESS Awards highlight video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQs12h_BjxU

“The GESS award has been very important to us because it is a platform to us to be recongnised upon a wider community.”, said the Managing Director of STS, Steve Burnell, in response to winning the award.

STS received this fantastic recognition across a diverse range of nominees from the education sector including Popcorn school furniture, Amatrol and Betzold. We are energised by the momentum brought forth by this award and excited to explore new possibilities to further road and traffic safety awareness.

Media Coverage: https://teachmiddleeastmag.com/top-educators-and-suppliers-recognised-at-gess-awards-2020-in-dubai/

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