Maharashtra School Reopening: SBOA may raise fee by 30%

Speculations state that school bus owners may raise fees by 30% due to the mandatory and strict changes made by the State Transport department in the SoPs.

Maharashtra School Reopening: The guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government on October 3, regarding the reopening of schools for Classes 5 to 12 in rural areas and for Classes 8 to 12 in urban areas from October 4 has left the school bus owners in a fix. Speculations state that school bus owners may raise fees by 30% due to the mandatory and strict changes made by the State Transport department in the SoPs.

New guidelines related to school reopening states that each bus will be allowed to carry only 50% of students of the total capacity. With the rising petrol prices, ferrying students with the current fee would be difficult. As there are many other significant changes in the SoPs issued regarding school reopening, bus owners of the state have decided to discuss the matter soon with the schools and state education department.

State Bus Owner Association, SBOA Maharashtra, has asked the state government to offer a financial package. The lockdown imposed by the government due to the pandemic spread halted the school buses for more than two years. Lakhs of operators, attendants and conductors faced hardship due to the non-availability of work. Also, as per Maharashtra School Reopening Guidelines, the school busses need to be sanitized twice daily. The SoPs also state that the operators must keep the busses clean and ensure social distancing and safety of the students traveling in the bus. Windows of the Buses must be kept open, and drivers and conductors must be fully vaccinated.

Implementation of these guidelines with existing fees sounds difficult and therefore, SBOA has decided to reach out to the school’s authority and state government.

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