School bus fares all set to go up

Charu Chhibber

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21

Parents, get ready to shell out extra school bus transportation charges from the new academic session.

In a recent decision, the Chandigarh School Bus Operators’ Welfare Association has decided to hike the transportation charges by Rs 150 to Rs 300 per student from the coming academic session. The current charges range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Manjit Singh, president of the association, said the school bus operators were reeling under frequent fuel price hike. He said last year around the same time, the diesel price was Rs 46 per litre and now it was over Rs 60. 

“Having been pushed to the wall due to the spiralling fuel prices, we have no option but to pass on at least some of the burden to the parents,” he said. 

“Add to it the numerous other expenses, including vehicle insurance, salaries of staff, taxes, and EMI of the vehicle. We are overburdened. We only get payment for 11 months as schools have summer vacations in June. However, we have to pay the salaries of the staff and tax for 12 months. We are hardpressed for resources,” Singh said.

“Vehicle insurance, which used to cost Rs 44,000 last year is now over Rs 60,000. Then there were fresh CBSE guidelines to install GPS and CCTVs in all school buses, which again went from our pockets. In addition, we have to pay the salary of woman attendant. 

There is wear and tear of the vehicle also. We have no way but to increase the charges,” said another bus operator, Kirpal Singh. 

“In the face of so many additional expenses, marginal increase is inevitable from our side,” said Shankar Narayan, a private company owner who runs buses for a city school. 

School bus operators rue that they have written several times to the Chandigarh Administration to consider the tricity area as one when it comes to school buses.

“If a vehicle is registered in Mohali and it goes to Panchkula to pick children, we have to pay passenger tax in both states -- Punjab and Haryana -- which leads to extra burden on our pockets,” said Manjit Singh.

Parents, meanwhile, are irked over the imminent fee hike. “It has become almost impossible for the common man to bear the charges. The authorities cannot pass on the entire burden to the parents. School managements should intervene,” said Shailja Sharma, a parent of two. 

Who is to blame? 

"I finished my entire schooling with the fee that I pay for my son’s one-year school bus charges. I do not want to blame the bus operators as their dilemma is understandable. But we are feeling the pinch. A major chunk of our income is being spent on the child’s schooling these days. I don’t know who is to blame." Ruchika Chopra, parent who spends Rs 18,000 per year as school bus fee

‘Schools can’t do much’

"The school managements can only request the bus operators not to hike the fee unreasonably. We cannot stop them from hiking the charges." HS Mamik, President of the independent association of schools