72% of parents are spending more time driving now that the school year has begun

Yango Maps is out with a survey (pdf) on parents in Dubai’s back-to-school routines and the navigation features they prioritize. An overwhelming 72% of parents said prepping for the new season is a time suck, with 67% starting as early as 1-3 months in advance.

Daily commutes are a central concern for parents, as 72% report spending more time driving during the school season. Some 63% of children use school-provided transportation, while 40% are driven by parents. Children’s after-school activities — taking place two to four days a week — see even more parents behind the wheel, with 67% of children driven there by their parents.

Most parents (73%) are shuttling between different neighborhoods for school runs, with over half (60%) spending 20 to 60 minutes on the road.

Traffic and parking are major pain points, with 62% of parents struggling with road congestion and 59% finding it difficult to secure parking. Nearly half of the parents (49%) also expressed a desire for reduced travel time, while 42% nodded to the importance of accurate arrival time predictions.