Muscat: Eng. Issa bin Saleh bin Sufyan Al-Rashidi, Director of the School Transport Department at the Ministry of Education, revealed the details of the plan, including renewing over 20,000 school transport vehicles and introducing more than 800 new high-tech buses at a total investment of RO 4.8 million.

The Ministry has signed a pivotal agreement with Karwa Automobiles Company and the Oman Development Bank to replace outdated school buses. Over the next five years, 5,000 buses will be updated, with 1,000 of these replacements scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year. This initiative will target buses from models dating back to 1980-1997.

In addition to upgrading the fleet, the Ministry has also launched a preventive driving course for 597 bus drivers across various governorates. This training, conducted in collaboration with the Oman Oil Development Institute and Company, focuses on preventive driving techniques, first aid, accident reduction, and emergency response skills.