PETALING JAYA: The government should provide subsidised or free bus services for schoolchildren instead of free city buses that are mainly used by foreign workers or tourists, say bus operators and a transport activist.
This comes in the wake of reports of school bus operators planning to increase fares for the new school term starting January.
Currently, school bus fares are not regulated, which means any increase will be dependent on negotiations between parents and operators, said Federation of Malaysian School Bus Operators Association president Amali Munif Rahmat.
He said school bus fares had been based on the market price since the deregulation of this sector in 2015, with different areas or operators having different rates.
“If there is an increase, we leave it to both parties to decide. If the operators are running at a loss, then they have to adjust it accordingly.
“If there are operators who can sustain the business, based on their calculations, they can do without an increase.
“The association can only give them guidelines on how to fix the price,” he told The Star in response to news about the proposed increase.
He said in Kuala Lumpur alone, there were more than 20 different rates for school buses.
Amali Munif said operators were faced with a multitude of cost pressures, starting with the implementation of the minimum wage of RM1,500.
“Previously, we had a basic salary with allowance and incentives,” he added.
He said they also had to deal with price increases for spare parts, all of which were imported as buses were not locally made.
“As legal operators, we have to pay for the compulsory vehicle inspection (Puspakom), insurance and so on, and we cannot compete with the illegal (operators),” he added.
He said if the government could subsidise stage coaches, there was no reason why it could not do the same for school buses.
He added that since the Covid-19 outbreak, the association did not have the exact number of operators, but the Road Transport Department should be able to track this number based on those who renew their road tax.
“At present, yes, we don’t have enough buses and drivers, and this is because about half of operators were unable to sustain their business and switched to being lorry drivers, which gives a more stable income,” he said.
Earlier, Malaysia land transport activist Kamaruddin Hussain said it was high time the Transport Ministry came up with a win-win solution on the issue.
He suggested the ministry stop free bus services for tourists or foreigners, and provide subsidies or special assistance to school bus operators.
“This will help school bus operators cover their operating costs during school holidays.
“Referring to the issue of school bus fares that is currently being debated in the media, we would like to remind parents to be considerate towards school bus operators who have to bear monthly operating costs without any exceptions or reductions.
“The Transport Ministry should play an important role in coming up with a win-win solution instead of letting this issue drag on,” he added.
