PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Parents in Dehradun have welcomed the decision by the authorities concerned to fix the fares of school buses and vans in the State. They believed this decision would ease the financial burden they often face, as transport operators frequently increase prices at their discretion. Many parents have expressed that the authorities should take similar further steps to prevent the exploitation of parents.
It is important to note that the State Transport Authority (STA) of Uttarakhand in its recent meeting approved a fare structure based on distance for school buses and vans. The new rates are as follows: For school buses, fares are set at Rs 2,200 for distances up to 10 km, Rs 2,700 for 10-20 km, Rs 3,200 for 20-30 km, and Rs 3,700 for distances over 30 km. For school vans, the charges are Rs 2,100 for up to five km, Rs 2,500 for five-10 km, Rs 3,000 for 10-20 km and Rs 3,500 for distances over 20 km.
Parent Vinod Chaddha said that the costs associated with education, including books and school transport, have been a significant burden on parents during the current times. He appreciated the recent decision of the authorities to fix rates for school buses and vans, believing it will genuinely alleviate some of the financial strain on families.
“My children’s school van operator often raises prices after every six months, citing reasons like petrol inflation and other expenses, which really affects our budget. This recent decision is truly commendable and I urge the authorities to implement such measures across all sectors in the future to help reduce the financial strain on parents and prevent unnecessary exploitation,” said another parent, Monica Srivastava.
Another parent, Gungun Chaudhary, shared that her family recently switched from using school vans to personally dropping her children off at school, as the van operator frequently hiked prices, which began to impact their finances. However, with the recent fare fixation decision for school buses and vans, she plans to resume using van services for her children, as the exploitation of price hikes will likely be reduced significantly.
