Tax doubles Noida schoolbus fee, parents upset

NOIDA: Bus transport for Noida schoolchildren has become an expensive proposition with all schools having hiked up their bus fees by almost cent per cent. The sudden hike has occurred because the Uttar Pradesh government has now ``implemented'''' the passenger tax on contract buses. This has led to a whopping increase of Rs 1,000 per semester in bus transport fees in these schools.In Amity International School, where the bus fees ranged from Rs 200 to Rs 400 as per the distance, parents are now required to shell out an additional Rs 200 per month. ``That''s almost double of what we were paying. As it is, the fees are so high in private schools, now this additional pressure is too much,'''' complained a parent. ``With this hike, it will be more economical to drop my son in my personal transport,'''' said another parent whose son studies in Cambridge School. According to the school principals, the tax already existed, but was not being implemented. Its sudden implementation could have something to do with the ongoing tussle between the Delhi and UP government over movement of buses, they suspect. Noida school principals have sent a representation to the UP government''s department of transport stating that school buses should be exempted from this tax as it is the parents who are ultimately bearing the burden. Giving details, Amity International School principal Mohina Dar said: ``The tax imposed amounts to about Rs 410 per day for every trip, which works out to roughly Rs 10,000 a month for each bus.'''' Then came the diesel hike, which forced schools to hike the fee. Schools were sent the notification in November last year and the hike was implemented from December.