The continuous hike in fuel prices is likely to impact school fees in Bengaluru, with many private schools planning to raise transport fees by around 9% this academic year.

As of Wednesday, the petrol price stood at ₹110.93 per litre, while the diesel price stood at ₹98.80 per litre.

D. Shashikumar, general secretary of the Associated Management of English Medium Schools in Karnataka, said, “Every year, school fees rise by 5% to 10%, but transport fees have remained unchanged. We have been using overall fee collections to cover the maintenance and fuel costs of buses and vans. However, with the recent surge in fuel prices, we are now obligated to increase transport or school bus fees. While some schools collect transport charges annually, others do so on a monthly basis.”

He added, “The transport fee depends on the location of the school and the distance from the students’ homes to the school. It also varies depending on the type of school. At present, schools charge somewhere around ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per month, which might increase to ₹3,000 to ₹3,500.”

Lokesh Talikatte, president, Karnataka Recognised Unaided Private School Association (KRUPA), said, “Around 11,000 schools from across Karnataka, including CBSE and ICSE schools, have registered with our organisation. We are planning to increase the transport fee by 8% to 10%. This will be done after conducting a meeting with the parents. We have also started informing them about the increase in the transport fee. Some parents have already responded that it is an added financial burden on them. At present, schools under KRUPA are charging somewhere around ₹11,000 to ₹18,000, which will increase to around ₹22,000.“

He also said that KRUPA has received requests from teachers to increase their salaries due to the increase in fuel prices, but no decision has been taken yet.

Meanwhile, parents of school-going children, already burdened by rising fuel prices, said a hike in the school transport fee would strain their budgets further. Raghava M, whose daughters study in a CBSE school in Vijayanagar, said, “At present, I pay ₹36,000 a year as transport fee for both my daughters. Even a ₹2,000 increase would be an added burden. The school fee itself is ₹75,000 annually. I work in a salon and earn about ₹2,000 a day. For middle-class families like ours, it is a significant strain.”

Freeda M., another parent, said, “My son is in class 6, and his school is six kilometres away from home. As heavy vehicles ply on the road connecting Kengeri, I prefer sending him by school van rather than buying a cycle. If the transport fee increases, we may opt out next year and send him by BMTC buses. At present, we cannot opt out as we have already submitted the forms and paid the first instalment of the school fee.”

Krishnappa, whose daughter is studying in a school 2.5 kms away from home in Hulimavu, said the school had already increased the transport fee by ₹4,000 before the fuel price hike to factor in inflation. “We are already paying ₹40,000 per year for transport. I fear there will be one more hike with the continuous hikes in fuel prices,” he said.