School bus owners have on Thursday written to the Maharashtra government seeking a 20 per cent hike to bus fares citing rising fuel prices and various taxes. This is in addition to the 30 per cent hike imposed from February 1, the days school buses were allowed to operate. Earlier on Wednesday, the state government announced a 100 per cent waiver of Motor Vehicles Tax for the period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022 for the Covid-hit school bus owners. 

“Yes, we were given relief. But the new financial year has begun with new taxes and the operations have not picked up as expected. Further, the rising fuel prices have hit us hard. And a number of schools have also kept school buses optional too. This has led to a lot of imbalance. So, we are thinking of a further 20 per cent hike to offset the losses,” said Anil Garg, president of School Bus Owners’ Association (SBOA), Maharashtra.