JOHOR BARU: While the hike in bus fares appear imminent, school bus operators from one of the largest consortiums of school bus associations are pledging to do so only after meeting with Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Malaysia School Bus Drivers and Operators Association chairman Dr M Muruga said this was to address several issues related to the bus operators' push to impose a fare hike.
"We plan to raise the prices by April 1 but we want to meet with Loke after Chinese New Year to address some issues.
"The most crucial is the hike and quantum which the government had de-regularised in 2015. This means any operator can impose hikes by negating with parents directly."
He said due to the difficulties faced by parents, whom like drivers were also largely from the the Bottom 40 income group, associations would likely be pressing for a RM10 to RM15 hike.
"At this point we have merely begun laying the proposed hikes on the table which are between RM4 and RM50.
"However, they can negotiate it. We are not heartless. We understand their plight. Like the parents, we too have just come out from a punishing pandemic and are facing the brunt of inflation."
Muruga however rubbished reports that bus fare rates would reach up to RM300 or higher.
He also said that the only way such rates could be charged and accepted was if the buses were ferrying students from international schools.
Earlier, Federation of Malaysian School Bus Associations president Amali Munif Rahmat said that school bus fares were likely to rise from January.
He said the hike was inevitable due to the increase in operating costs attributed to high spare parts prices, driver salary increases and competition from unlicensed operators.
Meanwhile Muruga said the meeting with Loke was being sought by his consortium, which represent 3,500 bus drivers and operators as well as others groups operating the service.
In the meeting, Muruga and his colleagues are also expected to seek more subsidies for B10 diesel which they now get at RM1.88 instead of RM2.15 per litre.
He said he would be asking for a RM1 rate instead.
Muruga also claimed that card slots where they swipe for the subsidised fuel have been damaged, preventing drivers from getting the diesel at the rates and forcing them to buy the fuel at RM2.15.
"How can we continue to transfer these savings to the parents when we ourselves are undercut?"
He also called for a RM500 cash aid to be given to bus drivers in November and December each year to help keep them afloat.
Muruga also appealed to the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) to extend school bus permits by another five years to 35 years.
He said bus operators are willing to send school buses to Puspakom to ensure they were roadworthy.
"It's not that we don't want to buy new school buses but the prices are very high and beyond the means of the association's members.
"Eighty percent of them comprise the elderly and single mothers. We tried to get loans from banks and financial companies but due to our age, our loan applications were rejected."
