Miri school bus drivers call for review of free bus fare structure

MIRI (Feb 8): School van and school bus drivers operating in the Senadin, Lutong and Permyjaya areas have urged the relevant authorities to review the current fare structure under the free school bus programme, citing mounting financial pressure.

Miri City School Buses Association chairwoman Mary Akir said its members are still being paid RM0.41 per kilometre by Yayasan Sarawak, with travel distances calculated based on short point-to-point measurements determined by schools.

She explained that a route calculated at 1.77km for a return trip, when multiplied by the current rate over 20 school days, amounts to only RM29 a month.

“As a result, the monthly payments received by drivers can be extremely low,” she said at a press conference after chairing a meeting with members at the Kampung Pengkalan Lutong multipurpose hall on Saturday.

Mary said the association, which has 52 members, noted that the fare structure based on point-to-point measurements has been in place since March, 2025.

“Our members say the rates do not reflect their actual operating costs. Expenses continue to rise, including diesel costs of about RM100 a day, vehicle servicing every three months and mandatory Puspakom inspections every six months,” she said.

She added that members had previously absorbed various additional costs to help parents from less well-off families, but now feel there is a lack of concern for their needs, particularly as their financial burden continues to increase.