Abu Dhabi parents can now monitor their children's school bus routes through a recently introduced app called Salama. The app has been launched by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) under the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), in collaboration with the Department of Education and Knowledge.
The primary goal of this app is to elevate the security and safety standards for students during their school bus journeys. Additionally, it seeks to bolster parental trust in the school transportation sector by improving communication between parents and educational institutions.
The Salama app lets parents monitor their child's journey from the moment they leave home for school and vice versa. It also facilitates tracking a student's attendance or absence and offers estimated arrival times at both school and home through notification alerts to parents. Additionally, the app provides parents and schools with relevant information about drivers and supervisors, enabling direct communication with them.
Moreover, the app lets supervisors keep track of student attendance on the bus and report on the status of bus trips. Users can also share feedback through the app in case of emergencies during the journey, with the ITC control room overseeing the necessary actions. Additionally, the app offers precise data to aid in planning, executing, and enhancing strategic projects aimed at improving the quality of school transportation services in Abu Dhabi.
In addition to these features, the exact time the bus leaves the school perimeter is recorded, including traffic flow information during peak times.
The ITC has conducted training sessions for all those involved with the Salama app. These sessions encompassed 32 workshops on the new smart system, with participation from 256 representatives of educational institutions, encompassing private schools and nurseries, along with 768 school bus operators, school transport coordinators, and supervisors from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra Region.