Careem, RTA partner to launch ‘School Rides’ in Dubai

Careem has partnered with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch a ‘School Rides’ transportation service in the city, which provides parents with a safe and convenient option to drive their children to and from school.

The multiservice app said its customers can now select the ‘School Rides’ car type on the Careem app to book on-demand and affordable school rides for their children. Parents can book customised packages of 40 rides valid for three months, providing them with added flexibility around work schedules, holidays, and weekends.

The company said package fees for school rides are not subject to peak pricing and remain fixed regardless of demand. This allows customers to save up to 40 per cent on rides compared to regular bookings.

The service offers a carpool option for their children with up to four other passengers going to the same destination if they are within the same pickup vicinity. Parents can also select from several premium cars including Lexus, Toyota, and Infiniti to enhance their children’s comfort.

“RTA is keen to serve the needs of the parents in Dubai by providing them exceptional services, and at the same time enhancing the integration of RTA’s multi-modal transport by offering them several school transport solutions,” said Adel Mohammed Shakri, director of planning and business development department at RTA.

The platform said its drivers are subject to thorough security and background checks and are specifically trained to ensure and maintain children’s safety during each school ride. The platform’s live tracking feature also gives parents the ability to track each trip in real-time through the mobile app.

“Careem has been our partner in providing several shared mobility services in Dubai and we trust their measures to ensure safety, affordability, and customer service excellence,” added Shakri.

Careem’s ‘School Rides’ service is currently available in Dubai and the company plans to enhance the service by adding new features, including the ability to book roundtrip rides for customers who prefer having an adult accompany the children during each ride and the ability to book recurring rides at the same time every day.

Careem growth strategies

Meanwhile, Careem revealed its new brand identity earlier in May as the Middle East region’s leading ‘everything app’ with over 12 services currently available in Dubai.

The company’s brand architecture is growing as its service portfolio has expanded as well. Careem said each of the company’s services, including Careem Pay, Careem Food, and Careem Quik, has become an individual sub-brand within its overarching brand house.

Last month, Careem’s parent company, Uber Technologies, signed a binding agreement with UAE telecoms operator e& Group to acquire a 50.03 per cent stake in the platform’s multiservice app, in a deal valued at $400m.

The platform said it would use the proceeds from the new investment to accelerate its ambitious vision to create the first ‘everything app’ serving customers across the Middle East region.

Careem launched as a ride-hailing provider in 2012, with the mission to simplify and improve people’s lives in the region. After pioneering ride-hailing in the UAE and building a homegrown brand trusted by millions, the company expanded its service portfolio in several markets and now serves over 50 million customers in 80 cities across the MENAP region.

Read: UAE telecoms giant e& Group acquires $400m stake in Careem Super App