Ling poses beside his school van.
SIBU: The announcement of RM600 to be given by the government to school bus operators comes as a relief for members of the Sibu School Bus Association.
In thanking the government for the special assistance, chairman of the association, Ling Leong Chuong, said they had been losing income since the enforcement of the Movement Control Order to curb the spread of Covid-19 infection in March.
“We are undergoing trying times to make ends meet during the period. The special assistance will at least reduce our burden of feeding our family,” he said yesterday when reacting to the announcement made by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong on July 10 that the government had approved a RM600 special assistance for 35,000 eligible school bus drivers nationwide, totalling RM21 million.
Wee said this assistance will be granted to school bus drivers with valid driving licence and who use registered vehicles from licensed school bus operators.
According to him, the disbursement mechanism will be announced at a later time by the Land Transport’s agency in charge of distributing the assistance.
He said the scheme is part of the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin) that was launched by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on March 27 as a bulwark for the country during economic and social crises as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ling said he resumed his bus service to pick up students when schools reopened for Form 5 and 6 students starting June 15.
“There are at least some students to pick up to and from school and we do so in full compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP), like doing body temperature check on students and sanitising their hands before they are allowed to enter the school bus,” he said.
With classes in full swing except Primary 1 to 4 beginning July 15, he is optimistic that his operation would gradually return to normal.
His wife is also a school bus driver.
He said most parents prefer their children to use school bus.
“We have made the arrangement with them and most of them like us to take their children to and fro school again.
“Of course, we have to take precautions and comply with the SOP,” he said.
Ling also mentioned that his association has only about 15 members as most have retired as bus drivers and not many of the younger generation are attracted to this kind of business.