School transport fee may rise by up to 20% in AP

Visakhapatnam: With schools set to open across Andhra Pradesh from the second week of June, parents may soon face a hike of up to 20 percent in school transportation fee as school auto rickshaw operators are planning to increase fares for ferrying students to and from school after fuel (petrol, diesel and CNG) prices increased. Managements of some schools are also going for a hike in bus transport charges.Auto rickshaw operators in Vizag said that increasing fuel prices, along with rising operational and maintenance costs, made it difficult to continue services at existing rates. Petrol prices in Andhra Pradesh closed at an average price of Rs 117.75 per litre, and the diesel prices closed at Rs 104.52 per litre, they added.Auto rickshaws are one of the preferred modes of transport for convenience in parts of the city. However, overloaded auto rickshaws with students are a safety concern.Not only fuel prices but also prices of tyres, spare parts, and servicing for vehicle maintenance have increased over the past year. Maintenance costs alone have risen by 20 percent, putting additional financial pressure on auto rickshaw owners. We are chalking out plans to increase fares for ferrying students to and from school, said N Rao, an auto rickshaw driver. The auto rickshaw union is expected to take a final decision on the proposed fee hike before the new academic session begins, he added.“My son has been going to school and returning home in an auto rickshaw for the past few years. Even before the new academic season begins, the autorickshaw man said they had increased the fare from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per month for ferrying students to and from school,” said K Ramana, a resident of the Madhurawada locality.The transport department authorities said a three-wheeler can legally carry a maximum of five children under the age of 14. However, violating these rules, many autos carry six to ten children. “We will carry out a series of raids from June 12 to bookcases against the violators for the safety of the school students,” they added.Apart from the school auto-rickshaw operators, the management of some of the schools, which operate school buses for children, also decided to increase the fare (10 to 15 percent) citing mounting operational costs, especially due to fuel prices. Over 1,200 school buses have been operating in parts of the Vizag region.Though various organisations appealed to the governments to decrease the fuel prices, there are no relief measures from the governments. “We have no other option than to increase the fare”, said auto-rickshaw men here. The auto-rickshaw-men are struggling to sustain services while meeting safety and compliance standards expected by schools and parents, they added.