PSAJK’s transport rate card evokes criticism; parents say association dictating terms

 

Srinagar, Mar 6: The Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK) has received brickbats for issuing its “diktat” on transport rate cards to the students for the current academic session.

Resentment is brewing among parents over the PSAJK move for fixing bus fares of the school going children per month.

A parent said the association was dictating terms and conditions to the parents because of government negligence.

On one hand the government acts in favour of parents and on the other hand they give a free hand to private schools to issue diktats. They (schools) are openly looting parents and unnecessarily depriving students from getting education,” the parent said.

Another parent accused private schools of always looking for their profit by putting parents in distress.

Every parent does not belong to the elite class or upper middle class. Even business class people also faced huge losses due to the pandemic. The administration should intervene and take some action,” said Shoaib Ahmad, a parent.

Aghast with the PSAJK move, the parents expressed their displeasure over the rates fixed by the association and said the parents should have been taken on board before announcing any such decision.

“It is open loot in the name of quality education. A student in one to two kilometers of radius around school has to pay a bus fee equal to the tuition fee. This is not justified,” said Firdous Ahmad, another parent.

Meanwhile, the PSAJK said they were facing transportation crises and approached the JKSRTC to help schools arrange vehicles on urgent basis which was not found feasible on account of cost per seat.

The association said they approached the JKSRTC to provide them buses for schools but the rates charged were not affordable by parents and they decided to fix the rates of school buses to put the anxiety of parents and school management to rest.

“The rate for 0-5 km distance has been fixed at Rs 1950 per month, 5-10 kms at Rs 2450 per month and every additional kilometer should pay an additional Rs 45 per kilometer,” the association said.

The PSAJK in a statement said all schools have been directed to charge only 50 percent during off periods extending to one month or more.

“Furthermore there will be only a 50 percent transportation fee during non-operational period/winter vacations,” PSAJK said.

The school has asked the parents to approach their grievance cell by contacting: 7889578450 and 01942471110 in order to get their grievances addressed.

“We are fully aware of the transportation crisis that has affected both schools and the parents at the onset of opening of schools. The schools opened after three years and it has come up with a new set of challenges,” PSAJK said.

The association said providing dependable, safe and affordable transportation service was prominent among them.

“The FFRC recommends keeping transportation and academic fee accounts as separate ones, so one cannot subsidise transportation on the back of academic fee. Secondly, during the last three years most of the school bus fleets and even that of private transporters have almost gone defunct,” the association said.

Besides fixing the transport rates, the association has also put forward their demands saying that due to almost zero income, the fitness certificates, road taxes, EMI’s and other expenses were pending thus creating a huge liability.

“Schools have to incur huge expenses on transportation. We appeal to the government to waive off interest on our EMI’s, road tax, fitness charges and other miscellaneous charges. Government should also defer installing GPS in school buses which otherwise is a huge expense for schools,” PSAJK said.

Meanwhile, the parents said the PSAJK was not above law and cannot fix the bus fare as per their own wish.

“The competent authorities should intervene in the matter and come up with a logical solution,” the parent said