With schools in Mumbai opening for grades 1-7 from Wednesday, December 15 onwards, school bus owners on Tuesday, December 14 stated that there will continue to be a dearth of buses to function for the students, reports stated.
Anil Garg of the School Bus Owners’ Association (SBOA), was quoted by the Times of India elaborating on how it will take a minimum of one month to recruit drivers as well as other crew. According to Garg, it will also take a month to see to it that all school buses are back on the roads.
Based on accounts, Mumbai has 8,000 school buses. On Tuesday, the SBOA released a media statement wherein it highlighted its petition to Maharashtra Transport Minister, Anil Parab with demands that seek relief for the bus operators.
Garg elucidated that they sought compensation for the time lost to the imposition of the coronavirus lockdown, mentioned reports. He remarked that school buses were lying idle for a duration of over one and a half years.
Moreover, Garg is also of the opinion that schools must take into account a 30 per cent hike in bus fees owing to not just a hike in fuel prices but also to the COVID-19 pandemic. This he believes must come along with a rise in pay of the crew of school buses.
Furthermore, the SBOA has sought a road tax waiver alongside an extension of the “life span” of the school bus by two years.
Also Read: Maharashtra: Primary School Education Will Now Create Awareness About Climate Change