oa Qatar's school transportation system: Supporting safety, efficiency, and service quality

In consideration of the many challenges associated with Qatar's continued growth and demographic changes, the government of Qatar is interested in updating its school transportation system (STS). This work assesses the perspectives of parents and school administrators on Qatar's STS, identifies a vision and goals for the STS, reviews international norms for school transportation, and discusses strategies to achieve the vision and better align Qatar's STS with international norms. The authors articulate four elements of a vision for Qatar's STS: 1 - provide safe, efficient, and high-quality transportation for Qatar's students 2 - support educational options by enabling mobility and access 3 - provide a transportation experience that is supportive of Qatari values and culture 4 - minimize the impact on traffic congestion and the environment. The authors recommend 13 strategies to help achieve this vision, such as establishing clearly marked schools zones with standardized safety features and establishing standards for licensing and training bus drivers. The authors also provide a preliminary evaluation of several other strategies with less certain costs and benefits, such as changing the composition of the school bus fleet, implementing bus stops, and staggering school start times.