Toll hike: Bus body revs up protest

School bus service might not be available from October 10.

School and company buses, ferrying passengers outside city limits to Mumbai Metropolitan Region areas, will protest against the increase in toll tax by blocking places near toll plazas.

Though it is not yet clear whether the protest will hit school bus service, many schools have decided to issue circulars to parents warning them that school bus service might not be available from October 10.

The School and Company Bus Operators’ Association are angry about paying heavy toll taxes and poor condition of roads.

Anil Garg of the association said that because of the ever-increasing toll at several locations across MMR, it had become difficult for bus operators to conduct business.

“Around 33,000 buses will stop plying. More are expected to join the protest in other parts of the state. The protest will continue for a week and we will stop only after official assurance or policy intervention,” Garg said.

He added that although they pay a hefty toll, the condition of roads had either remained the same or worsened.

City schools are worried if blocking of toll plazas by the school bus owners might affect their bus services.

A school principal from a school in Andheri said: “It is not yet clear whether the bus service will be affected but we have decided to at least forewarn our parents so that they can make alternative arrangements to pick up and drop their children to school.’’

Sangeeta Naik, a parent from Bhayander, said her child’s school has informed them about the strike. “We are tired of these flash strikes across the city. We are a working couple and will have to take a day off to get our children to school. It is really unfair on us. We are victims of these tussles between the government and the transport unions.”