AUSTIN (KXAN) ⁠— The new school year kicks off this week for many across Central Texas and Capital Metro is offering free rides for K–12 students.

Transit agency officials said its a way to ensure students have an affordable, safe and reliable way to get to school. The program started as a pilot last summer and has been running ever since.

“Since the program began, we have provided over 2,130,000 K–12 trips. It’s been a major success. Today, we provide over 10,000 K–12 trips on average each day,” transit agency officials said in a statement.

But CapMetro officials said it’s important to remind drivers and riders to stay vigilant and be safe on and off the bus. They’re asking drivers to keep an eye out for all bus riders ⁠— especially students as there will be some riding on CapMetro’s buses starting this week. And, they’re asking parents to remind their children the CapMetro bus does not function as a school bus.

“Unlike school buses which deploy a sign that says stop and has a flashing light, we do not have that, we’re not required to have that, and so you wouldn’t have a signal from our bus operators to stop your vehicle which is why we need you to exercise care as you attempt to pass one of our buses,” Gardner Tabon, the transit agency’s vice president of safety, risk management and accessible services management.

Students who are 10 and under must be accompanied by someone who is 12 or older.