KUALA LUMPUR: School bus fares are expected to increase next month as overhead costs have soared, said the Federation of School Bus Associations Malaysia.
Its president Amali Munif Rahmat, said higher spare part prices, pay rises for drivers to retain them, and competition from unlicensed operators have forced them to increase their prices.
He said it was difficult to find drivers without giving them a good salary.
"The current RM2,000 a month pay was not attractive as drivers could earn that amount for less stressful work. We used to have about 16,000 operators but this has dwindled to about half of that," he told local news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
"Licensed school bus operators face a serious challenge from illegal operators who undercut them aside from the increase in operational costs.
"Drivers are hard to come by these days as they prefer to drive express coaches and lorries which pay much more. And the drivers cannot even be on sick leave as the children's schooling will be disrupted."
On the expected increase in fares, Amali said the federation has issued a guideline on the monthly rates according to the service provided and distance, among other factors.
This, he said can range from RM50 to RM1,000 as some parents want extremely comfortable buses which can be tracked via GPS (Global Positioning System).
Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) secretary Tunku Munawirah Putra said the government could provide bus fare subsidies in the form of vouchers to ease the burden on B40 households with schoolgoing children.
Tunku Munawirah pointed out that higher school bus fares is an issue that is often raised but without a proper solution being found. Therefore, she suggested, perhaps government intervention is necessary.
"The government could give cash vouchers to those who are in need, especially those in the B40 group. Some parents may not be able to afford to send their children to school and this may result in dropouts if they are not assisted," she said.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president N. Marimuthu said the issue must be resolved before school reopens as some households have to pay as much as RM500 in school bus fares for their children.
"B40 families especially need government assistance as such households can have up to five children or more each. Additionally, school bus operators and drivers would also benefit from the subsidy as they have been hit badly by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Many drivers have lost their jobs and the subsidy will help them get back on their feet."