By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: Careem, the region’s leading multi-service app, helps parents save up to 40% on school transport this academic term with its popular ‘School Rides’ service, making it more affordable, convenient and safer for children to get to and from school.
Over 3,600 School Rides trips have been completed since the service was launched earlier this year in partnership with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA). More than 70% of School Rides customers chose to repurchase the packages.
The School Rides service enables parents in Dubai to skip the early morning school rush traffic without the cost of paying for a private driver. Children get to school quicker than they would with time-consuming school bus commutes.
Antonio Alasmar, General Manager of Careem in the GCC, commented: “As the new school year approaches, parents are considering how to get their kids to school without breaking the bank while also avoiding the stress of the school run. We launched the ‘School Rides’ car service in partnership with the RTA earlier this year to help alleviate some of that stress and save time and money. The service has proved to be extremely popular and we’re thrilled to see so many parents renew their packages.
“Our purpose at Careem is to simplify people’s lives, and we’re pleased to make life much simpler for families with a door-to-door school transport service that offers attractive packages, reduced prices, and ease of change or cancellation. Parents have greater peace of mind with School Rides thanks to our special training for Captains and a 24-hour care support service.”
Packages of 40 rides are valid for three months and can be customized to provide flexibility around work schedules, holidays and weekends. Package fees are not subject to peak pricing and remain fixed regardless of demand, resulting in savings of up to 40% on rides compared to regular bookings.
Customers can also choose a carpool option, with up to four passengers from the same apartment or villa complex going to the same destination, in a selection of premium cars like Tesla, Lexus, and Infiniti. The service also provides children with the comfort and flexibility of private rides to and from school, thereby reducing journey times to as little as 10 minutes, compared to school bus rides that take over an hour on average.
Careem’s Captains undergo thorough security and background checks and are trained to ensure children’s safety during each School Ride. With a dedicated 24/7 on-call care support team, real time in-app tracking, and notification of the trip’s safe completion at school, parents can rest assured their children are in safe hands. Careem is adding a new feature enabling roundtrip rides for customers who prefer having an adult accompany their children on the ride.
Careem’s ‘School Rides’ service is currently available in Dubai, starting from as low as AED13 per ride and averaging AED20. Customers can select the School Rides icon on the app home screen, enter their home and school locations and choose a package to purchase. Once purchased, they can easily book regular rides using the normal Rides booking flow, and can toggle on and off between School Rides and normal rides.
To purchase a School Ride package, customers can download the latest version of the Careem app from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or via direct Android download and select the ‘School Ride’ icon on the app.
