Nagpur: Van School and bus owners say the cost of restoring their operations is so high so that only the inner bag or access to a healthy credit line can start prying.
Placing the vehicle back to the track means paying fees for repairs, services, insurance premiums and taxes around Rs 50,000 for van schools and more than Rs 1 lakh for the bus.
“Such money is beyond our ability,” said Afsar Khan, the Association of Van’s school owners.
“During the past year we can be ignored or there is no income.
Our members have lost their van when creditors take them away.
Many of them now survive by working as painters or selling vegetables,” he said.
For the owner of a school bus, the figure is higher.
Samar Jog, member of the Association of Bus School and staff owners, said, “These buses cost around RS 28 lakh and their maintenance is also quite expensive.
With zero income since the shutdown earlier this year, we have to think three times before putting the bus on the road .
“Currently, school buses have started plying, but the amount is very low, said Jog.
“In all of the Nagpur District, maybe 25 strange school buses are currently operating.
In the Pre-Covid era, this number is around 600.
Let it sink so that everyone can understand the level of crisis what we face,” Jog said.
Direct challenges for both transportation segments pay a variety of contributions that are delayed before the fitness certificate must be issued.
Khan said, “I have members who generate nearly Rs 8,000 per month by selling vegetables and have spent their savings.
No way they can get out six times it was just to get their vehicles on the road.” Even after the vehicle begins to play, no problem bigger, said JOG.
“Capacity has been reduced combined with limited reopening.
In the city, only secondary schools are permitted to operate.
I have nearly eight bus plying this week, with an average of 90 students in it.
Is it financially feasible to have 10 children per bus? “Ask jogging.
Another problem is the increase in fuel costs.
Jog says, “Day (in 2021) locking was announced and we stopped our bus, Diesel around Rs 70.
Now only seven months later we started back and diesel around Rs 100.
So now combining increased operating costs, increased and increased a capacity of 50% .
If this is not a recipe for a financial disaster, then what.
“The lack of trained drivers is now a reality.
“Experienced people don’t want to go back to our field because they know the school can be closed anytime.
Driving trucks they will continue to come what is possible,” Jog said.
Khan said the government could help release taxes and increase the validity of their fitness test.
“We have written to everyone, right from cm to the collector.
As our vehicle was stopped from plying the government itself, they have to improve our fitness and also the validity of the applicable tax releases until 2022.
Such minor support will at least help us to me -Restart our vehicle, “Khan said.