The increase in the cost of petrol has long-distance school drivers and parents worried about the impact on their daily expenses.

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One such driver, Ayanda Made, transports children from Vosloorus to Germiston and Primrose.

“The cost per trip compared to last year this time is simply too high,” said Made.

“The increase is heavy on us as drivers. It becomes ridiculous for me to spend more than R200 a day on a single trip,” said Made.

“Morning trips result in 10 litres being used, which equals a cost of R200. That’s close to R400 a day.”
Made said he fears they might have to increase their fees to cover expenses.

“Our huge predicament is by increasing our fees, we might lose customers to government buses because they are cheaper and subsidised. Next year it will be difficult to continue our services, charging the rates we currently ask from parents. Sometimes we face other challenges, like parents not being able to pay our full fees,” said Made.

James Kandima, a Primrose resident, also raised concerns regarding the impact of the rising petrol price.

“The rising cost of petrol makes everything expensive, from bread to meat. Transport prices will spike even more,” said Kandima.