School bus operators seek relief

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 28

The Chandigarh School Bus Operators’ Welfare Association has decided to move court and stage protests in the tricity over being unable to meet monthly expenses due to the lockdown.

They claim to have been facing major losses in dispersing salaries to the staff. They claim to have a fleet of nearly 1,200 buses, which operate for schools in the tricity and are managed by 3,600 staff members. More than 250 families are operating this business.

The bus operators charge between Rs1,200 and Rs1,500 (approx) per student and claim to have faced a loss of approximately Rs4 crore since April.

Though buses are not operating as schools are closed, the operators claim they have expenses to bear — employee salaries, taxes, installments, insurance and extension of policy terms. A meeting in this regard was held today.

“We have sought relief measures for school bus operators. Despite a number of letters, no response has been received by the Administration. Since March 25, the buses are not operating, but the liabilities of road tax, installments, insurance and salaries of staff continue to burden us. We demand a financial relief package immediately,” said Manjeet Singh Saini, president, Chandigarh School Bus Operators’ Welfare Association.

The association demanded that parents or schools should pay at least 50 per cent of the transportation fee for the past months and decide the future course of action. “We have been bearing 75 per cent of the monthly recurring expense and 25 per cent cost towards the diesel expense. We will be unable to disperse further staff salaries. We want the Administration to find a way for us,” said Saini.

He added: “The future course is also very difficult. We are allowed to travel with 1.25 ratio of the total number of seats. What if in future the schools want to reduce the capacity to 50 per cent per bus, how will we manage operational costs? The rising price of diesel will burden us even more.”