GEMS Education and STS Group unveil UAE’s first fully sustainable school transport fleet

Electric and biofuel-powered fleet launched by GEMS • Spot2Spot, an all-electric, demand-responsive service, launched for students living near SRI

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, June 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- GEMS Education has joined forces with STS Group to launch the Middle East’s first fully sustainable school transport fleet – a pioneering initiative that reimagines how students commute and places environmental responsibility at the heart of the school experience.

The all-electric and biofuel-powered fleet will debut this August at its new flagship, GEMS School of Research and Innovation (SRI) in Dubai Sports City – GEMS Education’s 47th school in the UAE and Qatar.

As part of the launch, STS Group will also introduce Spot2Spot, an innovative, electric vehicle-based transport service designed specifically for students living in close proximity to SRI.

This integrated, sustainable mobility model confirms SRI’s role as the region’s most forward-thinking school and a living platform for climate action and smart innovation in education.

The strategic partnership was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Jay Varkey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GEMS Education, and Steve Burnell, Managing Director of STS Group, at the GEMS Education corporate office in Dubai.

“This partnership demonstrates our unwavering commitment to leading the education sector with purpose-driven innovation,” said Jay Varkey. “The introduction of a fully sustainable fleet, coupled with Spot2Spot’s smart transport model, brings real, measurable value to our families while supporting the UAE’s broader environmental goals.”

James Monaghan, CEO and Founding Principal of SRI, added: “SRI is designed to be a living lab for innovation, wellbeing, and sustainability. Introducing both green buses and Spot2Spot reflects the school’s mission to deliver an education that prepares students to lead in a rapidly evolving world.”

Fleet innovation and Spot2Spot highlights:
• Spot2Spot: a new, fully electric, demand-responsive model tailored for students living near SRI, offering shorter journey times and reducing local congestion
• Parent-friendly tech: real-time notifications, student check-in/check-out, and journey updates via the STS transport app
• Data-led performance monitoring to track environmental and operational impact

Spot2Spot is expected to reduce private car journeys by up to 30%, cut daily CO₂ emissions by 1.2kg per student, and bring average journey times below 30 minutes. By using advanced proximity clustering, the service ensures safe, efficient, and RTA-compliant transport for urban school bus users.

“We’re proud to partner with GEMS Education in launching not only a sustainable fleet but also Spot2Spot, our newest mobility solution that reimagines how school transport should work in modern cities,” said Steve Burnell.

“Operating the service with EVs sets a new benchmark for clean, intelligent, and community-based student mobility.”
Launching this August at SRI, the combined model of green fleet and Spot2Spot service will serve as a scalable blueprint for future GEMS schools and other education providers across the region. Designed with embedded data collection, the pilot will help assess the potential for wider rollout in line with UAE Net Zero 2050 and Dubai’s smart mobility ambitions.

GEMS Education and STS Group share a long-term vision to reduce emissions related to the school commute, improve traffic flow around campuses, and provide safe, smart, and sustainable transport solutions that support students, families, and communities.

Jon Bramley
GEMS Education
jonathan.bramley@gemseducation.com

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