Mumbai: We’re fixing leakage issues, say school bus operators

After parents complain of school buses leaking during rain, operators ask them to cooperate, say work is on to fix the issues at the earliest

As parents complained of leaking school buses, school bus operators have sought their cooperation saying they are working to fix the issues. They added that the damage was done because all the buses had been parked for two years without any maintenance.

A few parents from schools in south Mumbai and western suburbs recently complained of school buses leaking during the first heavy rains last week. There were also requests to replace the buses or repair them. “School bus fees have gone up and it is the duty of school bus operators to fix the buses and maintain them in proper condition before they put them in service for school kids,” said an angry parent.

“We admit that many school buses are having leakage issues because the buses have been standing without any maintenance for the past two years. Even bus operators were not aware of the condition. But we are working on it and it will be done soon,” said Anil Garg, president of the School Bus Owners’ Association (SBOA), Maharashtra.

Also read: Mumbai: With schools reopening, BEST to provide more buses and services to students

‘Can’t replace buses’

He added, “Instead of asking for buses to be replaced, which is not possible as there is already a shortage of school buses, we request parents and school principals to cooperate and have patience. Even public transport BEST buses have leakages but cannot be dropped from service.’

“The work of water-proofing and giving an appropriate coating is already being taken up during the weekends. We will not give a chance for any more complaints,” he said. There are around 50,000 buses that employ about 1.5 lakh staffers. Since the lockdown began in March 2020, schools had been shut and  buses had been standing without income or maintenance.

50k
Approx. no. of school buses in the state

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