Why pay bus fees for 12 months for 10-month school period, ask parents

File Pic

Following complaints from parents about being charged 12-month fees for a 10-month school bus period and other related concerns, the Maharashtra government has established a single-member committee to develop a school bus policy. In response, school bus owners are now urging the state government to standardise the fee structure while also requesting various concessions and financial support.

"Parents many a times demand that fees be paid only for ten months, but we have to spend money for 12 months as per financial calendar for various fees and taxes, including GST, road tax, insurance premium, annual fitness and parking charges, EMIs, salaries of staff, fines and penalties while parking. We are unable to use the bus for any other purpose other than school use as per regulations. During the vacation periods, the bus undergoes major maintenance, complete servicing, and upgrading of security apparatus, and the expenses are continual," said Anil Garg, president of School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA), Maharashtra, in a letter to the school bus committee, a copy of which is with mid-day.

Prasad Gokhale, member, state parents group (right) Arundhati Chavan, president, PTA United Forum

"In Mumbai, buses need to be scrapped after a period of eight years, unlike other states where the period is 12 to 15 years. This leads to difficulty in meeting expenses, leading to a rise in school bus fees. We seek permission from the government to extend this period to help the school bus industry. The committee looking into the subject must assess all these aspects and make decisions based on real-time data. The government should also revise GST rates for us and offer concessions to keep a cap on school bus fees," Garg added.

"This is unreasonable as the school and bus fees are collected from parents at the same time; thus, a huge financial burden falls on them. Many parents said this is very unfair. They have suggested that school bus operators should accept the student transport fees monthly instead of collecting them as a lump sum," said Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.

"Every school bus must have panic buttons, fire sprinklers, GPS tracking systems, CCTV cameras, etc. Also, the institutions or school bus operators who collect student transportation fees from parents must have unified control of the CCTV cameras on the buses so that they can be tracked and monitored," the minister said.

Garg said that the stiff regulations in Maharashtra do not allow us any concessions. "Say, for example, if the government allows extension of school buses from the existing eight-year cap to 12-15 years like other states, it will prove to be of great importance and also help in maintaining fee structure for parents. School buses are an important factor of student safety, and the government must consider all aspects of the school bus industry, take the opinion of all the stakeholders before coming to any conclusion and give a balanced judgement. We are ready to meet the committee and discuss these and more points," Garg said.

"As per clause 5 (2) of the school bus regulations formulated in 2011, the powers of deciding the fees for school buses rests with the respective school committee. Considering the overall safety of school kids, the centre has also formulated and designed the bus body code for school buses. With so many regulations already in place, there is no need for a fresh regulation for school buses, their safety and the fee structure at the state level," he said.

Parent speaks

"This is exploitation. As it is, the school bus fees are exorbitant, and they are increased randomly, which makes them unaffordable to middle-class parents. School buses have become a compulsion because of both parents working, and if this reason is exploited, it becomes unfair. The school bus operators need to pay their taxes and EMIs and follow all other regulations. But this is their problem, and it is unfair to pass them onto consumers and parents like this. The problem will only be compounded with such issues. It is always incorrect to charge a 12-month fee for a 10-month school period. The school bus association needs to understand the parents' perspective too," said Arundhati Chavan, president of Parents Teachers Association United Forum.

Prasad Gokhale of the state parents' group said that it was a losing battle. "The problem is mostly with English medium schools and those with all other boards other than SSC. The school bus operators and schools will continue to exploit situations like this. Hence, it will always remain my advice to parents to take admission in Marathi language schools," he said. Gokhale runs an awareness group, Marathi Shala Aapan Tikavlya Pahijet (We Must Save Marathi Schools).