How STS drives 80,000 students in Dubai while keeping costs down

STS transports more than 80,000 students daily to and from schools in Dubai, using over 2,800 vehicles. Planning these routes manually is a huge challenge, especially at the start of the academic year when many new students enter the system. To better plan for this, STS must consider many factors, such as the number of seats available for new students, if new buses and personel are required, children with special needs, and others.

STS was able to achieve all this with the help of PTV Route Optimiser. The software could take all their parameters into consideration at once, and produce optimised results accordingly.
PTV Route Optimiser also plays an important role since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, when STS has to comply with restrictions on bus capacity. The PTV software is used intensively for each school, to ensure buses are utilised according to the new capacity guidelines.

THE IMPLEMENTATION
PTV Group’s experts worked with STS to understand its business requirements and configure the system accordingly. Special attention was given to the safety of students at pick-up and drop-off points, as well as to maximum times they are allowed to spend on buses. It was important to use the optimal number of buses and limit travel distances, in an effort to ensure children’s well-being and safety and to reduce costs. This effort resulted in reduction of the daily run kilometers and dead runs, which in turn decreases fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Extensive testing and training were done and results measured before the system was handed over to STS.

PTV Route Optimiser supports STS’s transport plans by combining designated meeting points into optimal routes that reduces mileage and resources. Route management through the software allows for efficient route preparation and planning which are vital for efficient service delivery. The software also generates estimated arrivals (ETAs) for bus journeys and this supports the STS GPS systems, providing notifications in case of possible delays, allowing STS to be more reliable and transparent with their customers, especially with parents that use STS App.

WIN-WIN ALL AROUND
The results and benefits for STS using PTV Route Optimiser:
• Reduction in number of vehicles neede – already achieved in the first phase of the project;
• Overall vehicle capacity utilisation increased by ca. 10%;
• Travel times are significantly reduced as per regulations;
• Kilometers traveled cumulatively decreased by more than 10% in addi- tion to reduction in total number of vehicles;
• Customer satisfaction levels improved due to reduced travel time and increased punctuality;
• Drivers now get to drive on the most efficient route/path suggested by the software, which reduced their driving time per route.