The double benefit of school bus services.

The latest, official, and accurate news.

- Faced with the reality that many students have to travel 10-20km daily, through treacherous roads to get to school, while most of them are not old enough to drive vehicles, posing many potential traffic safety risks, Dinh Lap High School has implemented a student transportation model. This model not only minimizes risks and ensures the safety of the students but also helps parents feel more secure in managing and caring for their children, replacing the need for rented accommodation or allowing students to travel independently without supervision.

Students from Dinh Lap High School on the school bus route between Thai Binh Farm Town and Lam Ca Commune.

There are currently two public high schools in Dinh Lap district. Of these, the District's Ethnic Minority Boarding School (Secondary and High School) primarily serves ethnic minority students, who live and study in the boarding facility, thus eliminating the need for daily transportation.

Dinh Lap High School currently has over 650 students, of which about 70% come from remote and rural communes such as Bac Xa, Binh Xa, Kien Moc, Lam Ca, and Thai Binh town. Previously, many students from distant areas had to rent accommodation or stay with relatives in the town to conveniently attend high school. However, this method was both expensive and lacked supervision from families, leading to complacency and neglect of studies. Since 2022, with improved economic conditions and more diverse transportation options, many families have equipped their children with motorbikes and electric bicycles to get to school independently. However, this poses significant traffic safety risks, especially in bad weather or for students under 16 years old. According to statistics from Dinh Lap High School, approximately 20 students violate traffic safety regulations each year, mainly due to driving underage, driving without a license, or not wearing a helmet.

Based on this reality, the school's Board of Directors, in coordination with the District Police (before the District Police were dissolved) and the transportation company, conducted a survey on the needs for student transportation. The results showed that many parents, especially those living 10 to 20 km from the school, wanted their children to commute to and from school daily so that they wouldn't have to live far from home. Among these routes, the route between Thai Binh Agricultural Town and Lam Ca Commune had the highest number of students (accounting for about 1/5 of the total number of students in the school) and received the most support from parents.

In December 2024, a student transportation model was piloted on this route. The school collaborated with two bus companies (29-seater and 16-seater) to pick up students at 5:00 AM from the communes and depart at 5:30 PM. During lunchtime, students can visit relatives or rest in the dormitory arranged by the school. The cost per student is 700,000 VND per month, which is subsidized. Compared to the previous cost of renting accommodation and self-arranged transportation (1-1.5 million VND per month), this model is both more economical and safer.

After nearly a year of implementation, the student transportation model has proven effective, with almost 90% of students on the route from Thai Binh Farm Town to Lam Ca Commune registering to participate. The number of buses has increased to 4, and the schedule is flexibly adjusted according to each grade level's timetable.

Trinh Anh Thu, a student in class 10C4, shared: "My home is in Thai Binh Farm Town, about 20km from the school. Before, I rented a room, but the environment was noisy, the food was simple, and it was difficult to concentrate on studying. Since the school bus service started, my parents are more at ease. I no longer have to rent a room far from home, and I can come home every day to eat with my family. Thanks to this, I have better conditions for studying and resting, and I always arrive at class on time, even on rainy or cold days."

Ms. Tran Thi Xuan, Principal of Dinh Lap High School in Dinh Lap district, said: "We want more than just a means of transporting students to school. Each trip is a humane journey, ensuring that students can study safely and live under the care of their families. After nearly a year of implementing the model, combined with propaganda and encouraging students living nearby to walk or ride electric bicycles, the rate of students violating traffic safety regulations throughout the school has decreased by 70-80%, especially on the route from Thai Binh Agricultural Town to Lam Ca commune, where no student violations have been recorded. The school is continuing to seek further support from transportation companies to expand the model to more distant routes (over 30km) such as Binh Xa, Kien Moc... in order to create favorable and safe conditions for students in remote areas to get to school."

According to the Provincial Traffic Safety Board, this is the first well-organized and effective model of transporting high school students in the province. From a small initiative, the model has become a shining example and can be replicated in many localities with similar conditions.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/nep-moi-noi-cong-truong-5048250.html