DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Emirates Transport (ET) officially launched its transport services for private schools last week with an operational fleet of 100 buses serving private schools nationwide.

“ET aims at adding 230 school buses to the service, with an estimated budget of Dhs68 million [about $18.5 million USD] during the coming academic year,” General Manager Mohammed Abdullah Al Jarman said during a conference at ET's head office in Dubai.

Transportation service for government schools launched during the 1982-83 school year. ET began to provide some transportation service for private school students in June 2012.

During the past five months, ET's Schools Transport Centre formed contracts with 17 private schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah through which 4,500 students are transported to and from private schools daily. The service is expected to expand with the registration of 35 new schools in the coming academic year.

ET operates 4,000 school buses transporting 210,000 students from government schools. They are staffed with 3,800 drivers and 2,700 male and female supervisors. The buses reach 36 locations nationwide.

Al Jarman said that private schools are on the rise in the United Arab Emirates. “Currently, there are 176 in Abu Dhabi, 148 in Dubai and 75 in Sharjah," he said. "This continues to guarantee the success of our new service.”

Al Jarman added that the new service will help ensure satisfaction for students' families and other stakeholders, maximize savings in expenses allocated to student transportation, and help curb traffic congestion.

Other recent news on school transportation in the United Arab Emirates:

• Buses for special-needs students launched in UAE