Households Feeling Pinch of Hike in Petrol Prices
Mumbai School Bus Owners’ Association sought to increase the school bus fee by over 40% in the new academic year. SBOA members and other bus owners are planning to meet the transport secretary and government officials on Friday.
Hike in petrol prices to get worse for parents of school-going children. The School Bus Owners’ Association (SBOA) in Mumbai demand to hike the school bus fee has not gone down well with the parents. Many parents are still fighting school managements over “exorbitant” fee hikes. “School managements increase the fee whenever they feel like. Now, bus owners want to follow suit,” said Rohit Lalan, a parent. “We have no option but to comply with their demand as we need to send our kids to school,” said Lalan who has been fighting against the management of his son’s school over fee hike.
Bus owners claim this hike is imperative because of the increase in petrol prices and the implementation of safety norms pertaining to school buses. “The new norms prescribed by the School Bus Safety Rules have added to our expenses. We need to hire new personnel and make changes in the existing buses,” SBOA president Anil Garg said. “How does the government expect us to raise the money to cover these expenses?”
Indrani Malkani, a member of the government-appointed committee for drafting the rules under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Regulations for School Buses) Rules, concurred with Lalan. “The school bus owners hold parents to ransom,” said Malkani. “I understand that there will be a hike in school bus fee now that fuel prices have gone up, but it can’t be so drastic.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the School Bus Owners’ Association (SBOA) sought to increase the school bus fee by over 40% in the new academic year. SBOA members and other bus owners are planning to meet the transport secretary and government officials on Friday. Some school principals are likely to accompany the members.
Parents are justified in feeling that they are held to ransom by school managements and bus operators. The government should keep the parents and children in mind while considering the bus owners’ demand.
Bus owners claim hike, Hike in Petrol Prices, Hike the school bus fee, Mumbai, Mumbai School Bus Owners’ Association, SBOA in Mumbai
