After milk, electricity & auto fares, school transport costs to go up in Bengaluru and other cities in Karnataka

There is no let-up in the adverse impact on the common man in Bengaluru and other cities in Karnataka, as cost of living continues its upward climb. For families with school-going children, another daunting hike stares them in the face — a near-certain 15 to 20 percent rise in school transport cost.

In the recent past, Bengulurians, and indeed citizens across cities and towns in Karnataka, have faced several hikes in the prices of various commodities, government services, and fees for services like property registration. The common man has been burdened with price increases in milk, petrol, diesel, electricity, auto fares, and more.

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But given the fact that there has been an overall rise in the cost of maintenance of vehicles and taxes, bus transporters have said that they have no option but to effect a hike in school transportation costs.

According to Karnataka United School and Light Motor Vehicle Drivers’ Union president Shanmugam PS, “Fees relating to registration, permit, insurance and fitness certificate of vehicles, and renewal of licences and taxes on other items have gone up. Since operational costs have gone up, there is no option but to increase the transportation costs to be paid by parents.”

The central and state governments have been raising taxes on petroleum products that have a cascading effect on all other prices, he said.

Speaking of Bengaluru, the city has some 15,000 school buses and vans ferrying children. The cost per vehicle could increase by Rs 500 per month, he said, and this hike will be passed on to the parents.

Not only parents, even office-goers using chartered private buses will have to pay revised charges, as private bus operators are mulling an upward revision in the hiring rates.