About 500,000 female students, representing around one third of the total enrolled in public education, will be able to commute by buses provided by their schools. The Ministry of Education has contracted Hafel School Transportation Company to provide the buses, which are scheduled to be put into service next Saturday. According to the company, the training of drivers, all of whom will be Saudi nationals, has been completed, and six areas will benefit from the service, namely Riyadh, Makkah, Al-Qassim, the Eastern Province, the Northern Borders, and Al-Jauf. The service has been operational in Madina as of the second semester of the past school year. The total cost of the scheme will be SR1.8 billion for its three-year period, and the ministry hopes it will bring educational and behavioral improvements while slashing transportation costs for families that previously recruited drivers and were responsible for vehicle and fuel expenses. The service is also expected to ease traffic congestion, particularly during rush hours, as well as helping to address other social and domestic problems. In Qassim, approximately 67,442 female students will benefit from the new service. – Okaz __
