Exorbitant hike in school bus fees in Istanbul: Taxis are cheaper
In some schools, bus fees have been increased by over 100 percent. Bus companies defend this situation by stating that the real profit is taken by brokers at the schools. Legal experts emphasize that parents are not obligated to pay these high fees and that excess charges can be reclaimed.
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The school bell will ring on September 9 for approximately 19 million students in primary and secondary education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. Preschool and first-grade primary school students will begin their orientation program on September 2. With schools set to open soon, parents are in a rush to find school bus services. However, astronomical fees are putting a strain on parents.
In accordance with the decision taken by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME) regarding school bus fees, the monthly fee for a distance of 0-1 kilometers has increased by 16 percent to 1,931.40 TL. The fees are 2,068 TL for 1-3 km, 2,234 TL for 3-5 km, 3,712 TL for 15-17 km, and 4,519 TL for 23-25 km.
A maximum of 35 percent for attendant personnel fees is added to the transport fees of school buses carrying preschool, primary, and secondary school students. In this case, the fee for 0-1 km rises to 2,607 TL.
According to a report in Milliyet newspaper, some bus companies and schools are implementing hikes exceeding 100 percent, demanding annual fees reaching up to 100,000 TL.
333 TL DAILY BY BUS, 200 TL BY TAXI
One bus company is demanding 60,000 TL annually for a home 3.8 km away. In this case, the daily fee for a student using the bus for 180 days a year averages 333 TL. If the student were to travel the same distance by taxi every day, the daily fee they would need to pay would average between 200-220 TL.
For this reason, while some parents are planning to take their children themselves or use taxis, others are turning to unlicensed bus services.
As in previous years, some are choosing 'neighbor tourism' this year as well. This means several neighbors are joining forces to plan to take their children to school together.