Private School Runs Offer UAE Parents a Flexible Alternative to Traditional School Buses.
For some families in Dubai, the traditional school bus is no longer the only option. A growing alternative is seeing children arrive at school in private chauffeur-driven cars, as parents turn to limousine companies for their daily school commute.
Companies providing the service say safety is a key consideration when transporting children without a parent accompanying them. Measures include vetted drivers, GPS tracking and WhatsApp notifications informing parents when their children are picked up and dropped off.
Riyaz Kizhissery of Fairway Travel & Transport said the company receives around two to three enquiries each month from parents interested in using its limousine services to transport their children to and from school.
Fairway Travel & Transport operates a fleet of more than 20 vehicles and provides limousine services for different types of journeys across the UAE, including private school runs arranged by parents seeking an alternative transport option for their children.
Families can arrange a one-way school journey for an estimated Dh100, although the final cost varies depending on the type of vehicle selected and the distance travelled.
Kizhissery said some customers request a dedicated driver and vehicle for their children, with pricing determined according to the journey and individual requirements.
Parents can also arrange for a nanny or another family member to accompany the child during the trip.
In such cases, Fairway can collect both the child and nanny from home, drop the child at school and then return the nanny home, Kizhissery said.
Parents receive updates through WhatsApp during the journey, while transport arrangements are coordinated directly with each family.
Kizhissery said the company also conducts background checks before employing drivers. These include reviewing police clearance documentation and relevant records from the driver’s home country.
Another Dubai operator, Drive N Ridde Limousine LLC, is also providing private school transport services for families.
Rahil Kherani, Accounts and Operation Manager at the company, said its dedicated school-run service was introduced for the new academic year and already has around 50 children enrolled in recurring monthly pick-up plans.
Kherani said the company has seen strong demand and expects the number of children using the service to exceed 200 before the end of the year.
Families can subscribe to renewable monthly plans designed around individual school timetables. Services can include morning and afternoon journeys from Monday to Friday or be customised according to each family’s requirements.
Some parents choose transport in both directions, while others book only the journey from school to home or select particular days of the week.
There is no standard flat fee. Instead, each package is priced individually based on factors including the route, schedule and number of children travelling.
Like Fairway, Drive N Ridde said it applies additional requirements when selecting chauffeurs responsible for transporting children.
Drivers must hold a police clearance certificate, have at least two years of driving experience in the UAE and possess English-language skills.
For its school transport service, Drive N Ridde assigns the same chauffeur to each family every day, allowing children to travel with a driver they recognise and become familiar with.
Kherani said children are handed over only to a parent, nanny or another adult authorised by the family.
Every journey is also monitored in real time through GPS by the company’s operations team, while parents receive WhatsApp notifications when their child is picked up and dropped off.
The company is now developing a dedicated parent app that will provide families with additional information about their school transport arrangements.
Kherani said the planned app will allow parents to view their contracted services, track the vehicle’s live GPS location while their child is travelling and access an in-car camera feed.
Drive N Ridde currently coordinates journey timings directly with families based on individual school schedules. However, the company has also begun formal discussions with schools in Dubai regarding pick-up and drop-off arrangements.
It also plans to introduce eight-seater vehicles that would allow several families travelling along similar routes to use a shared transport service.
The company currently operates a fleet of 30 executive vehicles equipped with GPS tracking and plans to increase this to 60 vehicles in 2027 and more than 100 by 2028.
Kherani said school transportation, including shared routes using eight-seater vehicles, is expected to be one of the main areas supporting the company’s future expansion.
As interest in alternative school transport grows, private chauffeur services are emerging as another option for Dubai parents seeking greater flexibility in how their children travel between home and school.
