With schools across Pune set to reopen from the first week of June, parents may soon face a hike of up to 15% in school transportation fees as the school vehicles’ association has indicated that it is considering revising charges due to the sharp increase in petrol, diesel and CNG prices over the past two weeks. According to transport operators, rising fuel prices coupled with increasing operational and maintenance costs, have made it difficult to continue services at existing rates.The association is expected to take a final decision on the proposed fee hike before the new academic session begins. (HT)They have pointed out that apart from fuel, the costs of tyres, batteries, servicing, spare parts and vehicle maintenance have also increased significantly over the past year. Maintenance costs alone have risen by nearly 25% to 30%, putting additional financial pressure on school bus and van owners. The association is expected to take a final decision on the proposed fee hike before the new academic session begins.Rajan Junavane, president of the Pune Bus and Car Owners Association, said that many newly-introduced government safety regulations for school buses have further increased the burden on operators. “Now there are compulsory safety measures like cameras, RFID systems, speed governors, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, special doors, uniforms and training for staff. All these rules are important for student safety, but implementing them comes with a huge cost. Even AdBlue, which is mandatory in newer buses, has become expensive. If these costs continue to rise, a transport fee hike of around 10% to 15% may become unavoidable,” he said.Junavane said that the Pune Bus and Car Owners Association has also suggested an alternative to reduce operational costs and avoid burdening parents further. He said both schools and the government should consider reintroducing the hybrid learning model similar to that during the Covid-19 pandemic. “If schools operate for three days physically and the remaining days online, the number of buses on roads and fuel consumption will reduce significantly. This will provide relief not only to transporters but also to parents and help reduce traffic congestion,” he said.Junavane further stated that transport operators themselves are reluctant to increase fees, as parents are already dealing with rising educational and household expenses. “Our intention is not to increase fees, because even parents are finding it difficult to manage rising costs. In fact, some part of the burden should also be shared by schools. However, the present situation has gone beyond our control due to inflation and rising transport-related expenses,” Junavane said.Parents expressed concern over the possibility of another increase in school-related expenses ahead of the new academic year. “School fees, books, uniforms and other expenses have already increased this year. If transport fees also go up by 10% to 15%, it will put additional pressure on middle-class families,” said Dulari Munde, a parent from Kothrud.Another parent, Amit Bhojare from Wakad, said that while safety measures are necessary, the financial burden on parents is becoming difficult to manage. “We understand that fuel prices and maintenance costs have increased, but every year there is some hike or the other. The government and schools should also find ways to support transport operators instead of passing the entire burden onto parents,” he said.Whereas Swapnil Bhosale, deputy regional transport officer, Pune regional transport office (RTO), said, “We understand the concerns raised by school transport operators regarding rising fuel and maintenance costs. The RTO will examine their representations and ensure that any decision taken balances the interests of operators, parents and student safety.”