General

1. Urban Express operates school buses in compliance with the guidelines of the appropriate regulatory authority within the United Arab Emirates.
2. Transport services will be provided only to eligible students from approved catchment areas.
3. All employees of Urban Express are fully trained and, where required, hold the appropriate regulatory permits. All employees are trained periodically for safety, customer service, and driver skills training.
4. All buses are installed with smart bus technology, and this covers, as a minimum, the GPS tracking and CCTV Systems. A CCTV system monitors the inside of buses, and Urban Express reserves the right to view footage as per regulatory authority policy. CCTV recordings will only be shared when requested by the appropriate authorities.
5. All confirmed bus routes have designated pick-up and drop-off points. The route travel time may vary depending on the number of students and/or any change in routes.
6. Only authorized persons (bus driver, bus supervisor, Urban Express representative, school employee, students registered on the bus) can board the bus. Parents/guardians are not authorized to enter the bus.
7. Students are solely responsible for their personal belongings when traveling on the school bus and Urban Express is not liable for the theft, damage, or loss of such items. Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring their children access appropriate content on any portable device and do so effectively, safely, and responsibly.
8. Students with contagious diseases cannot travel on the bus and Parents/guardians will be responsible for failing to report this matter to Urban Express/school.
9. If a student behaves inappropriately, the bus driver or the bus supervisor will inform the school administration about this behavior so that the necessary measures can be taken. Parents/guardians will be responsible for any damage caused to the bus or passengers as a result of their child’s behavior. If parents/guardians refuse to settle the claim made by Urban Express and/or the student continues with unacceptable behavior, Urban Express reserves the right to:
   • Stop or suspend transport service
   • Levy financial penalty
10. If parents/guardians wish to raise any queries related to the bus service, the first point of contact will be the nominated customer care executive, who will then communicate with Urban Express if required. Parents/guardians should not communicate directly with the bus driver, bus supervisor, other parents, or other students on the bus unless otherwise advised.

Parents/guardians responsibilities:‍

1. Parents/guardians are required to complete the registration requirements for the school transportation service during the registration period determined by Urban Express. Urban Express has the right to determine the method of registration that it deems appropriate, whether through a mobile application, registration link, or any other method. For planning the routes and for effective usage of digital media, parents must provide the relevant data (phone, email, UAE ID, location, photograph, etc.) during registration.
2. If parents/guardians know that the student will be absent from the bus on any given day, whether at morning pickup or the return trip, parents/guardians must inform Urban Express through the correct channels as advised.
3. A mobile application/online link will help parents/guardians track the movement of buses, including boarding and disembarking from the buses during the journey to and from school/home. This application will also be used by Urban Express to notify parents/guardians regarding any school transport-related services.
4. It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure that children are at the correct pick-up point at the assigned time. Buses will not leave from collection points ahead of schedule. Buses will not be able to wait at pick-up points after the allotted time, as this will delay the transit times for other students and the arrival time to school. Parents/guardians must consider the possibility of buses being late due to traffic congestion or any changes in the bus route at any given time.
5. Parents/guardians must use the designated pick-up and drop-off sites for students' transportation between home and school. Any temporary changes to the registered home address will not be considered without Urban Express approval.
6. Parents/guardians of KG and Cycle 1 students must be available at pick-up/drop-off times, though they may delegate this responsibility to another adult.
7. If the authorized parent/guardian of a KG or Cycle 1 student is absent at the drop-off location, the student will be taken back to school by the bus driver. Parents/guardians will then be notified to pick up their child from school. The school management will wait for parents/guardians for one hour; if the parents/guardians arrive later than one hour, the child may be handed over to the child protection team until the parents/guardians arrive. Parents/guardians will be issued a warning for not being present at the drop-off location. After a second warning, Urban Express reserves the right to discontinue a student's transportation services. Depending on the severity of the situation, the parents/guardians may be held legally accountable under the Child Protection Law of the United Arab Emirates.
8. Parents/guardians of students with specific medical conditions must submit a certificate endorsed by a recognized health authority. Urban Express will then examine a student's case and reserves the right to accept or deny transportation services depending on the student's health condition.
9. If there is a change in the residence location, it is incumbent on the parents/guardians to inform Urban Express about the new address one month in advance for efficient route planning. Parents/guardians will lose transportation rights if the new residence location is outside the approved catchment area.
10. Parents/guardians are encouraged to train and advise their children to conduct themselves appropriately whilst on the school bus journey, enabling the bus driver to stay focused on potential driving hazards and ensure the safety of all passengers.
11. Parents/guardians are solely responsible for adhering to the above Terms and Conditions in respect of their children registered for the school transportation service.

Student Bus Behavior Code of Conduct:
Students must adhere to the Bus Behavior Code of Conduct to keep everyone safe and happy on the journey to and from school. Parents/guardians are encouraged to discuss the following standards with their child/children at home:

Do’s:

• Travel on your designated school bus.
• Be on time for pick-up and departure.
• Make sure the road is safe before crossing the street.
• Stay at least 10 steps away from the school bus, and make sure the bus driver can see you.
• Be aware of the danger zones surrounding the bus as advised by the school management and avoid such areas.
• Enter the bus and take your assigned seat promptly, and do not wait until just before departure.
• Sit in the designated bus seat as the bus driver/supervisor advises.
• Keep your seat belt on for the entire journey.
• Remain seated until advised by the bus driver/supervisor.
• Keep the bus clean.
• Always face forward when seated.
• Always keep the aisles and walkways clear.
• Be courteous and follow the bus driver/supervisor's instructions.
• If you feel unwell, immediately report it to the bus driver/supervisor.
• Use electronic devices responsibly and report any observations of misuse to the bus driver/supervisor.
• Take all your personal belongings with you when you leave the bus.
• Follow the bus driver/supervisor's instructions in the case of an emergency.

Don’ts:‍

• Stand while the school bus is moving.
• Sit on a restricted seat, loosen the seat belt, or move around the seats.
• Distract the bus driver.
• Shout, throw things, be disrespectful, use improper language or gestures, or bully others on the bus.
• Bring friends onto the bus without written permission from Urban Express.
• Eat or drink (except water) on the bus.
• Throw objects of any kind inside or outside the bus.
• Place anything on the windows of the bus.
• Damage the bus, any system, or device in any way.
• Stand near the emergency door or try to open it.