Has the govt forgotten us, ask school bus owners and staff

School buses parked at Smt Sulochanadevi Singhania School, Thane, on Monday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Even as schools reopened on Monday, the school bus operators' association said they are still helpless as the Maharashtra government has not announced any standard operating procedure (SOP) for school buses yet.

"Has the government forgotten us? How will the students, who live far, travel to school? Have schools opened only for kids who live nearby or does the government want parents to take the responsibility of transport themselves. Students are not allowed on local trains while public transport buses are saturated. How will the students as well as staff travel to school every day? If school buses are allowed, they could avail the services," said Anil Garg, president of School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA), Maharashtra.

School bus owners and employees have taken a hit as schools moved to online mode amid the pandemic and their losses are pegged at R3,000 crore in the state since lockdown. In addition to this, traffic police are penalising stationery buses, leading to further losses and complications.

"We have been appealing to the government to restart our operations. After facing immense losses for one-and-a-half years, we had some hopes of revival once schools reopen; but that too does not seem to be happening, thanks to the short-sightedness of the authorities," Garg said. Officials from the state education department said there was no decision on school buses as of yet and that once a decision is taken it would be conveyed at the right time.