KOTA KINABALU: The New Year will usher in with a RM10 to RM20 school bus fare hike around the west coast of Sabah.
Sabah West Coast School Bus Operators Association deputy chairman Chen Su Kong confirmed this when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
According to Chen, effective January 12 next year, the fare increase would largely depend on the distance between the home and the school of each passenger based on the judgement of each individual school bus operator.
“The association has held several meetings to discuss the issue since the fuel price increase in September this year and the decision was finalized around a week ago,” said Chen.
“Since the increase in fuel hike, costs of goods and services have escalated, which means the upkeep of vehicles and its operational costs will also be affected greatly.
“We have taken into consideration the strains this will incur upon parents and delayed the fare increase till 2015,” added Chen, who also stated that the current fares ranged from RM85 to RM90 per month for each passenger.
The association has also been summoned to meet with the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (LPKP) to discuss the matter and the outcome has been positive, he said.
There has been some resistance from parents but the majority of them have agreed on the fare increase, revealed Chen while adding that the last fare hike was in 2011.
Chen overruled the possibility of reducing the fare rate if the fuel price should drop next year.
“Price increase occurs every year but the price of things never goes down. It will be the same for the school bus fare,” he said.
SJK (C) Hwa Shiong Putatan Parents-Teachers Association (PIBG) chairman Michael Chin Wee Yee, however, pleaded with school bus operators to reconsider lowering the fare should there be a drop in fuel price in the future.
“We understand that school bus operators may need to adjust their rates from time to time due to certain factors but we hope that it will not be increased to a price that parents will not be willing to pay,” said Chin.
“In addition, we also ask them to consider lowering it when the fuel price goes down. Parents also need to bear the burden of escalating living costs and the addition of the fare hike will force them to resort to other solutions,” he added.
The school bus fares in Tawau district will also be increased when schools reopen next year, by 15 per cent.