PARENTS will have to deal with a possible hike in school bus fares when school reopens next month, reports the Free Malaysia Today.

School Bus Associations Malaysia president Amali Munif Rahmat was quoted as saying that its members are considering this as overheads have shot up.

He was reported as telling the portal that overheads included higher spare parts prices, pay increases for drivers and competition from unlicensed operators.

He said operators are still grappling with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in school closures for long periods and putting many of its members out of business.

“We used to have about 16,000 operators, but this has dwindled to about half of that,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

“Besides the hike in operational costs, licensed school buses face a serious challenge from illegal operators who undercut.

“Drivers are hard to come by these days as they prefer to drive express coaches and lorries, which not only pay much more but are also less stressful.

“For one, they cannot even go on sick leave as the schooling of the children will be disrupted.”

Amali said the federation has issued a guideline on the monthly rates according to the service provided and distance, among other factors. – December 29, 2022.