School bus fares rises 15-20% in Chhattisgarh
fare hike affecting families
Raipur | Correspondent: Parents in Chhattisgarh face another education-related expense as school bus operators have raised transport charges by 15-20% from this month.
The fare hike will affect families in major cities, including Raipur, Bilaspur and Bhilai-Durg, just as schools reopen for the new academic session. Several private schools have already informed parents about the revised transport fees.
Prakash Desh, General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh Private Bus Association, described the decision as a compulsion, stating that raising fares had become inevitable due to constantly rising operating costs and skyrocketing diesel prices.
He cited several factors that have placed immense financial pressure on bus operators, including rising fuel costs, increased wages for drivers and assistants, vehicle maintenance, expensive spare parts, high insurance premiums, permit fees, and e-challan fines. The Association has once again appealed to the state government to provide financial support to this sector.
Meanwhile, the decision has sparked significant resentment and concern among parents. For parents already burdened by school fees and the cost of books, the hike in bus fares is proving to be an added misery. Some parents say that due to spiraling educational costs, they are now considering moving their children from CBSE schools to government or state board schools.
Parents in Raipur argue that the government should treat school transport as a distinct sector and offer tax relief or financial assistance to prevent the burden from falling on the general public. If the situation persists, educating children in private schools will become impossible for middle-class families.
