In Mumbai, school bus operators have decided to revise the old rates and increase the annual bus fee by 35-40 per cent. Revision of fees can be effective from June 1. According to operators, the rise in cost of operation, fuel and overhead expenses have left them with no option but to hike fees, a daily news daily reported.
School Bus Owners Association president Anil Garg told the news agency that the decision has been taken keeping in mind several factors, including the increase in fuel prices. He, however, insisted that the rise in fuel prices was not the only reason for taking such a step.
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There are many other aspects like repair work in buses, making buses as per COVID-19 norms, obtaining fitness certificate from transport department, changing oil, tyre etc. Everything needed a facelift as they weren’t working for the last two years which could have caused problems with the vehicle.
Talking about the demands of the drivers, Garg emphasized on the fact that there is a shortage of drivers which has led to them increasing their salaries. According to the news report, earlier the average salary of a driver was Rs 14,000 per month which has now increased to Rs 21,000.
Apart from this, the toll at the entry points of Mumbai has increased by Rs 3,570 per month per bus. Diesel in Mumbai is currently priced at Rs 105 per liter and CNG at Rs 72 per kg.
Schools are reopening in full swing after two years of being hit by COVID-19. However, as the students prepare to step into the new academic session, the hike in bus fees is becoming a cause of worry for the parents.
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While the association is all set to increase the rates, the parents are not quite happy with the decision as COVID-19 has hit many families financially. As the association is also expecting the parents to pay the annual fee, the parents feel that it will create a lot of burden on them. Meanwhile, parents are also worried about another Covid-19 wave that may hit the city, due to which they are unwilling to pay the entire year on a monthly or quarterly basis.
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