Mumbai: 20 per cent hike in school bus fees from next year

MUMBAI: Parents will have to pay more for school buses from the next academic year. The School Bus Owners Association has decided to hike fees by 20% to bear the costs of higher traffic fines, increased insurance and maintenance charges and increased salaries of drivers and women attendants.

The association, which claims to have over 48,000 buses across the state, said the chrages could go up by Rs 300 a month. At present, school bus fees range from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 a month, depending on the school. “It has become difficult to provide affordable bus services because of the escalating costs. Insurance is going to be more expensive, the cost of buses has increased by about 20% and so are RTO fees and fines,” said Anil Garg, president of the association. He added that the costs to follow new safety rules such as installing GPS and CCTV cameras on board have added to the expense. “These electronics are expensive, but important for the safety of students,” he added.

The association will levy an additional 5% hike on school buses that cross toll nakas. “We have been seeking toll exemption for some time now, but the government is paying no heed,” said Garg.