Summary:
“This was one of our assured sources of income, which has drastically reduced due to the strict regulations. Many students, particularly those from government schools, are losing out on educational trips. We have heavily lost income in this segment since the previous financial year,” an MSRTC official said.In 2017-18, schools and colleges across the state had booked 14,547 buses, netting the transport body Rs64 crore. “In 2018-19, only 5,247 buses were booked, and our income dipped to Rs20 crore. Safety of the children should be paramount, and I think the education department’s guidelines are perfect,” S Kasim, who has two school-going children, said..