2 september 2012 Running a school bus service is one of the most headache prone services we are providing. Given the perennial shortage of heavy vehicle drivers, hiring and keeping bus drivers has proven to be one of the major challenges in our short 3 years. We have already gone through about a dozen drivers.
If we could, we would in fact like to discontinue the service. But for many parents, it is a necessity. At the same time, not enough of them are willing to pay for it and this makes it a money losing operation. Unlike city buses, school buses operate only during a narrow window not exceeding 1 hour in the morning and evening. With the strict RSTA regulations, it is not possible to fit in more than 36 students in the large buses and 25 in the coaster. Therefore ‘scaling up’ our operation will not lead to breaking even but just the need for more buses. There is simply no way to go other than higher rates.
While we have not decided to raise the fare yet, from this week, we will operate with just 2 buses one of which will make two trips. The bus schedule has been re-worked to fit in this change. All parents and students are advised to check the new schedule.
From 2013 we will have no option but to raise the fare. Our fare has remain almost unchanged since 2010, although the fuel price has gone up by more than 30% and the driver salaries by more than 50%!