School bus association in Mumbai seeks 40% hike over 2019-20 fees – Times of India

MUMBAI: In the upcoming academic year, school bus operators want a 35-40% hike in fees compared to the pre-Covid levels.
If the bus fee was around Rs 18,000 annually in 2020, it could go up to a maximum of Rs 25,000 in 2022-23, School Bus Owners’ Association president Anil Garg told TOI. “The revision could come into effect from June 1, when the new academic year begins. The costs of operations, fuel and overhead expenses have all increased and we are left with no option but to hike fees,” Garg said. “We are also demanding that parents pay bus fees annually.”
We may lose annual bus fee if there’s another Covid wave: Parents
While the school bus owners’ association (SBOA) wants the bus fee to be paid annually, a section of parents are reluctant to so fearing losing the money in case there is another Covid wave and lockdown in 2022-23. “Several families have been financially impacted due to the pandemic. It is not easy for everyone to pay such huge amounts towards the annual bus fee. There should be either a monthly or quarterly payment facility, which can be renewed, if required,” said Hetal Parmar, a parent.

A bus operator said if there is another Covid wave and shutdown of services, the fee charged for those months will be carried forward. “We have always had a system of accepting fees annually in most schools,” he said. If the bus fee is hiked as demanded by the association, the additional monthly fee burden on families could be at least Rs 500.
CNG price was recently hiked to Rs 72/kg, while diesel was Rs 105 a litre in Mumbai. “The increase in bus fee is not just due to fuel price hike, it is also owing to repair of bus body, engine, tyre, tube, battery, new oil, wiring, and revamping buses as they were lying idle for close to two years,” SBOA president Anil Garg. “Also, we have to make provisions/fittings in buses as per the government safety norms for students. We have to pay for fitness certificates, insurance and PUC though we got a waiver in road tax for 2020 to 2022.”
Bus drivers earned around Rs 14,000 a month in 2020, but now they are in short supply and the salary demand has gone upto Rs 21,000 per month, an operator said. Inflation was another reason for demanding the hike, said a SBOA member. Another operator said that the toll at Mumbai entry points had increased by Rs 3,570 per bus per month, and this too was being factored in for school bus trips between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai/Thane.