Mumbai News: As schools prepare to reopen for the 2026-27 academic year, parents are set to face higher transportation costs after the School Bus Owners Association (SBOA) announced a 15% increase in Maharashtra school bus fees from June. The association said the decision was driven by rising operational expenses, particularly fuel costs, and the lack of any relief measures from the state government despite repeated appeals.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the revised charges will come into effect this month and apply to the upcoming academic session.
Association Cites Rising Costs And Lack Of Government Support
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the SBOA said it had repeatedly approached government authorities over the financial challenges confronting school transport operators. The association
stated that several representations had been submitted outlining the increasing burden of operating school buses amid escalating expenses.
The operators had urged the government to introduce practical measures and support mechanisms to sustain services without passing additional costs on to parents. However, the association claimed that these requests did not receive a favourable response from the authorities.
Faced with mounting expenses and what it described as the absence of viable alternatives, the SBOA said operators had been left with little choice but to revise transportation charges. The association reports that, due to a lack of viable alternatives and ongoing financial pressure, operators are raising school bus fees by 15% starting June for the upcoming academic session.
Warning Issued Last Month
The announcement follows a warning issued by the SBOA last month, when the association indicated that a fare revision could become unavoidable if fuel prices continued to rise.
At the time, the organisation had appealed to the government to permit schools to operate in a hybrid mode. According to the association, a combination of online and offline classes would have reduced the number of days students required transportation services, thereby lowering operating costs and helping bus operators avoid a substantial increase in fees.
The proposal, however, was not implemented.
Fuel Costs Driving Financial Pressure
SBOA President Anil Garg had earlier highlighted the scale of the challenge faced by the sector, noting that the association oversees nearly 40,000 school buses. According to Garg, operating such a large fleet requires more than 1.2 lakh litres of fuel, making transport services increasingly difficult to sustain amid rising fuel prices.
The association argues that the continued increase in operating costs has significantly affected the viability of school transportation services, particularly for operators attempting to maintain existing standards while avoiding additional financial burdens on families.
Fresh Appeal To Government
Even as the fee hike takes effect, the SBOA has renewed its appeal to the government, urging it to review the situation and introduce measures that would safeguard the interests of students, parents, schools and school transport operators.
The association maintained that any long-term solution would require balancing the concerns of all stakeholders, including families, educational institutions and transport providers.
Comparison With Wider Transport Sector
In support of its decision, the SBOA pointed to developments across the broader transportation industry, noting that airlines and other transport services have also revised fares in response to increasing operational expenses.
The association argued that school transport operators are facing similar pressures while also being required to comply with stringent safety regulations and operational standards expected by schools, parents and regulatory authorities.
According to the SBOA, maintaining these standards while absorbing rising fuel and maintenance costs has become increasingly difficult, prompting the decision to raise transportation fees ahead of the new academic year.
Concerns For Parents Ahead Of School Reopening
The fee revision is expected to affect thousands of families who rely on school bus services for their children’s daily commute. With the new academic session approaching, parents may have to adjust household budgets to accommodate the increased transportation charges.
While the association has defended the move as a necessity, the development is likely to renew discussions about the rising cost of education-related expenses and the need for policy measures to support both transport operators and families.
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