School transport charges in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad set to rise by 20% from this academic session

Pune: School transportation charges in the metropolitan region are set to rise by a hefty 20% from the upcoming academic session, transporters announced on Friday, citing the relentless rise in fuel prices as the primary reason behind the hike.Rajan Junavane, president of the Pune District Bus and Car Owners Association, told TOI that the decision was taken unanimously at a meeting held on Thursday. “Operators involved in school transportation across Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad attended the meeting. Fuel prices have been rising continuously in the past 14-15 days, with no clarity on when the rise will stop. Under such circumstances, we are left with no option but to revise our charges. Besides fuel costs, there are several other operational challenges we are grappling with,” he said.Transporters had earlier indicated that transportation costs could rise by 7-8%. “However, we realised that it would not be sufficient. Fuel prices have already been hiked four times and there is uncertainty over further revisions,” Junavane added.The Pune-based association head also said, “We held discussions with our counterparts in Pimpri Chinchwad, too, and they agreed with the proposal. There are around 15,000 registered school buses operating across both municipal corporation limits, while the number of unauthorised vehicles ferrying schoolchildren is believed to be much higher.”Operators said school transport charges are calculated on the basis of distance travelled. “For instance, for 1-3km, the average monthly charge ranges between Rs1,800 and Rs2,000. Rates increase progressively for slabs of 3-6km, 6-9km and beyond. The revised hike will be applied proportionately across these slabs. Apart from fuel prices, the cost of spare parts has also gone up sharply. BS4 and BS6 vehicles require AdBlue — used to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions — and its cost has risen by over 40%,” Junavane pointed out.Dipak Kalapure, working president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Bus Association, said the transport business had become increasingly difficult to sustain. “Many transporters have taken substantial loans to procure buses and are struggling to pay EMIs. The rise in fuel prices has only worsened the situation. We hope parents of students will understand and cooperate. There are also rumours about online schooling resuming and, if that happens, many operators may be forced to shut down without recovering their investments,” he said.Parents, meanwhile, said the hike would place an additional financial burden on families already battling inflation. “If transporters are suffering, so are many of us. Inflation is soaring, while salaries have not increased proportionately. The district administration should intervene and defer the hike for at least another year. Prices of all essential commodities are rising and middle-class families are under immense pressure,” said Fatimanagar resident and parent Iftikar Shaikh.