ARAB FALCON – SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION POLICY
- Purpose
This policy outlines the terms, conditions, responsibilities, and operational procedures governing the use of school transportation services provided by Arab Falcon Bus Rental LLC.
The policy is designed to ensure the safety, comfort, and wellbeing of all students while maintaining efficient, reliable, and compliant transportation operations.
- Student Code of Conduct
Students are expected to behave responsibly and respectfully at all times while using the transportation service.
Students Must:
- Wear seat belts at all times while the bus is in motion, except when boarding or alighting from the bus.
- Remain seated throughout the journey.
- Follow all instructions issued by the driver, bus attendant, transport coordinator, and school staff.
- Speak in a quiet and respectful manner.
- Use appropriate language at all times.
- Respect fellow students, drivers, attendants, transport staff, and school personnel.
- Use assigned seating where designated.
Students Must Not:
- Eat or drink on the bus.
- Engage in disruptive, unsafe, or inappropriate behaviour.
- Use offensive, abusive, or inappropriate language.
- Bully, intimidate, harass, or threaten other students.
- Play loud music or create excessive noise.
- Distract the driver or attendant from their duties.
- Stand, move around unnecessarily, scream, shout excessively, or engage in unsafe conduct while the bus is in motion.
- Damage bus property or the property of others.
Behaviour Management
Any misconduct may result in:
The bus attendant will report all matters involving health, safety, behavioral, welfare, safeguarding, or child protection concerns to the school, who will take action accordingly.
- This will involve the school telephoning the parents of the child concerned.
- A second complaint may lead to suspension of the bus riding privileges.
The School Principal reserves the right to exclude a student from the transportation service in accordance with school policies and applicable RTA regulations –
- If a student causes the delay of a trip multiple times in one school year.
- If a student violates any safety rule and endangers the safety of others during the trip.
- If a student refuses to ride a bus from a pickup point approved by the school.
- If a student leaves the bus before reaching his/her designated destination without prior approval/permission.
- If a student continues to cause disturbance after a written warning is filed against him/her during one school year.
- Or any similar incident.
Transport fees will not be refunded in cases where transportation privileges are suspended or withdrawn due to misconduct.
All students below Grade 5 are restricted from using mobile phones, tablets, gaming devices, or similar electronic devices during transportation.
- Transport Service Eligibility
Transportation services are available to students residing within approved service areas determined by the school and Arab Falcon.
Route operation may be subject to:
- Minimum student number (12 students).
- Route feasibility.
- Operational requirements.
- Availability of vehicles and staff.
Arab Falcon reserves the right to modify routes, pick-up points, schedules, and bus allocations to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
- Vehicle Safety Standards
Arab Falcon will ensure that:
- All vehicles are licensed and approved by the RTA.
- Drivers hold valid permits and are trained in school transportation requirements.
- Drivers are able to communicate effectively in English.
- All buses are equipped with:
- GPS tracking systems.
- CCTV monitoring systems.
- Approved safety equipment.
- Female RTA-certified attendants are assigned for each bus.
- Daily safety inspections and post-trip checks are conducted.
- Procedures are implemented to ensure no child is left unattended on a bus.
- Drivers are not permitted to stop at fuel stations while students are on board except in genuine emergency situations.
- Route Planning and Journey Times
Arab Falcon shall determine:
- Pick-up points.
- Drop-off points.
- Bus routes.
- Bus allocations.
- Journey schedules.
Parents should note:
- Students will normally be collected from the front gate of their villa, building, or designated community access point, provided the location is safe, accessible, and operationally feasible.
- Students residing on roads with dead ends, restricted access, gated limitations, or narrow roads may be required to walk to a designated pick-up point.
- The first student picked up may not necessarily be the first student dropped off.
- Commute times may vary depending on traffic conditions, route design, and student distribution.
- The bus company will endeavor to ensure no child is on the bus for more than 75 minutes (one way) assuming normal traffic conditions. However, longer journeys may be unavoidable for certain locations.
- Where required, parents may be requested to acknowledge and accept extended journey times.
- Students may occasionally be transferred between buses to accommodate operational requirements.
- Timing for pick up and drop off could be changed occasionally to accommodate new students in the bus.
- Pick-Up and Drop-Off Procedures
Parents must:
- Ensure students are ready at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled pick-up time.
- Be available at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled drop-off time.
- Ensure authorized guardians are present where required – applicable for students.
The maximum waiting time at each pick-up and drop-off point is two minutes, after which the bus will proceed to the next stop.
If a student is not present at the designated pick-up point:
- The bus will continue its route.
- The bus will not return.
- The student will be considered absent from transport for that trip.
Student Handover for Primary Levels
All primary students must be received by an authorised parent/guardian or an older sibling (Grade 6/Year 7 and above) with parents’ permission.
If no authorised person is available:
- The student will be returned to school.
- Parents will be responsible for collecting the student from school.
Secondary students Grade 6/Year 7 and above will be permitted to disembark without adult supervision.
Please note that the bus supervisors will not be allowed to leave the bus except in emergency cases. Under no circumstance will the conductor escort a student from the bus to the front door of the student’s home. A parent or appointed guardian must escort the student from the bus to the front door of the student’s home.
Should a student miss the bus for any reason, other than an error in our process, then it will be the responsibility of the parent(s) to come and pick the student up from school.
Please note that parents are NOT permitted to ride on the school buses.
Approved Destinations
Students will only be transported between:
- School.
- Registered home address.
Transport to alternative locations, friends’ homes, or unregistered destinations will not be permitted.
In emergency cases, temporary alternative arrangements may be considered subject to:
- Written parental request.
- School approval.
- Operational feasibility.
Students who are not registered for transportation services are not permitted to use school buses on an occasional basis.
- Changes to Transportation Arrangements
Parents must notify Arab Falcon in writing regarding:
- Changes of address.
- Temporary transportation changes.
- Permanent cancellation of service.
- Alternative collection arrangements.
All requests remain subject to:
- Route availability.
- Seat availability.
- Operational feasibility.
All request will require two weeks advance notice.
Emergency route changes may be considered where operationally feasible.
- Attendance and Absence Notification
Parents must notify the transport team if a student will not be using transportation on a particular day.
Notifications should:
- Be submitted at least an hour before the dismissal time in the afternoon.
- Be acknowledged by the transport team.
Failure to notify absences may result in delays affecting other students.
Parents must also immediately notify the Transport Coordinator regarding:
- Parent collection from school.
- Early collection.
- School activities.
- Alternative transportation arrangements.
- Any changes affecting the student’s normal transportation schedule.
Parents are responsible for ensuring that transport-related messages have been received and acknowledged.
- Communication and Complaints
Each route will be managed by an assigned Transport Coordinator.
Parents should direct all transportation-related enquiries, concerns, complaints, requests, and operational matters to the Transport Coordinator and not directly to drivers or attendants.
Where a concern cannot be resolved directly by Arab Falcon, the school may assist in achieving a resolution.
Parents are responsible for ensuring emergency contact information remains accurate and updated at all times.
- Service Notifications
If parents keep their app notifications enabled, they will automatically receive alerts for important transport updates such as:
- Bus Near Pick-up Location Notification
- Student Pick-up Confirmation
- Bus Reached School Notification
- Student Afternoon Check-in Notification
- Bus Departure from School Notification
- Student Drop-off Confirmation
- Bus Schedule Updates
- Payment Receipt Generation & Access
- Personal Property
Neither the school nor Arab Falcon accepts responsibility for:
- Lost property.
- Forgotten belongings.
- Personal items left unattended on buses.
Students are encouraged to label all personal belongings clearly.
- Damage to Property
Where a student causes damage to:
- A school bus.
- Bus equipment.
- School property.
- Another student’s belongings.
The parent or guardian shall be responsible for the cost of repair or replacement.
Arab Falcon may provide incident reports, photographs, quotations, invoices, or supporting documentation where applicable.
- After School Activity Buses
A late bus service will be available from Monday to Thursday for extra-curricular activities, provided that the activity is completed within the scheduled late bus dismissal time. Please check with your respective coordinator regarding the availability of late buses, as these services are not available for all areas. Please note that late buses are not available on Fridays or during Ramadan afternoons.
Parents should note:
- Late buses only operate to selected areas.
- Routes may differ from regular school-day routes.
- Timings may vary.
Parents must notify Arab Falcon whenever students participate in such activities to ensure transportation arrangements can be adjusted where applicable.
If a student has any extra-curricular activity in the morning, parents will be responsible for drop-off.
- Fees and Payment Terms
Transportation fees:
- Are payable directly to Arab Falcon.
- Must be paid in advance.
- Are charged at approved annual rates.
The annual transportation cost is calculated across the academic year and therefore:
- Fees remain payable regardless of holidays occurring within the term.
- Partial month usage does not qualify for discounts.
- Occasional use does not qualify for reduced fees.
Students will not be permitted to use transportation services where fees remain unpaid.
- Refund Policy
Refunds will only be considered for complete unused terms.
Refund requests must:
- Be submitted in writing.
- Be received before the start of the term being cancelled.
- Be accompanied by any required cancellation documentation.
Refunds will not be granted for:
- Partially used terms.
- Suspensions resulting from disciplinary action.
- Retrospective requests.
- New Applications
New transportation applications require advance notice of 3 weeks to allow route planning and seat allocation.
Acceptance of applications remains subject to:
- Route availability.
- Seat availability.
- Operational feasibility.
Late applications may result in delays to service commencement.
- Parent Declaration
By registering for and using the transportation service, parents and students acknowledge that they:
- Have read and understood this Transportation Policy.
- Accept the terms and conditions outlined herein.
- Agree to comply with all transportation procedures and requirements.
- Understand that school transportation is subject to operational, safety, and regulatory requirements.
- Agree to provide accurate and up-to-date contact information.
- Accept that routes, timings, bus allocations, and operational arrangements may change when necessary.
Failure to comply with this Transportation Policy may result in suspension or withdrawal of transportation privileges.
Arab Falcon Bus Rental LLC
Committed to Safety • Reliability • Excellence
