Mumbai: While school bus fees will go up by 10-12% from the next academic year, as declared by the School Bus Owners’ Association on Thursday, the govt said it was keen on framing new school bus safety rules for students across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with recommendations from a one-member panel set up recently.
“Increasing bus fees is required due to various factors which have escalated our operational costs,” said SBOA president Anil Garg. However, he opposed the one-member panel by the govt and the framing of new rules.
“When there is already an existing School Bus Policy of 2011, and a Suraksha Committee Policy, besides guidelines from the Supreme Court on school buses, there is no need for a new set of rules,” he said. He met transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar in this connection on Thursday.
Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said there was an urgent need to have a fresh set of rules to ensure safety of every child travelling by school bus. “We are serious about setting up a one-member panel to examine all the problems faced by students, parents, etc., on the ground and suggest new measures. The govt will then draft new rules based on the present-day scenario,” he said.
Regarding the fee hike from April, Garg said: “We had a meeting of school bus operators and other stakeholders and decided on a fee hike from the next academic year. This is due to increasing capital costs for purchasing new buses, huge maintenance costs of these buses (roads in bad condition), pay hikes of staffers, compulsory GPS systems in buses, and also CCTV cameras for the safety of children,” said a school bus operator.
Sarnaik said parents spending hard-earned money to send their children by school buses need to be assured of student safety. “The new panel will make a comprehensive assessment, which will form the foundation for school bus regulations implementation in the upcoming academic year.”
The transport department has received grievances from parents concerning privately operated school buses throughout the state. These vehicles primarily operate for 10 months during the academic calendar, yet operators collect fees for the entire year upfront, which parents deem excessive. The simultaneous collection of school and transport fees creates a substantial financial strain on families. Parents advocate for monthly payments spanning the 10-month operational period rather than the current annual collection system, said an official from the transport ministry.