Shortage of school bus services as costs rise, survey finds
Fewer bus companies are willing to provide the service to schools as it's too expensive and tourist fares are more lucrative
S.K.H. St James' Primary School faced yet another uphill battle to secure a school bus service this year, and it was just one of many schools struggling to provide their pupils with a safe, convenient and affordable way to get to class, a survey has found.
These were findings from a survey by the Federation of Education Workers, which covered 230 schools. The study also found that the price of the school bus service rose 26 per cent this year, after last year's 11 per cent rise.
In 2011, S.K.H. St James' Primary put out tenders for the service, but the company that had been providing it for 20 years decided not to join the bidding.
The school managed to secure another provider eventually, and it was the only bidder for the tender, principal Cheung Yung-pong said.
He declined to disclose exactly how much the school was paying for the service this year, saying only that monthly tickets ranged from HK$550 to HK$1,250. "No one wants to take this business these days," said Cheung.
Federation of Education Workers vice-president Wong Wai-shing said the price increases could lead to underadmission at schools in remote areas, as parents tended to pick schools that were more easily accessible by public transport.
