JOHOR BARU: School bus drivers are hoping that the lifespan of their buses could be extended to 35 years, three years longer than the current statutory lifespan.
Malaysia School Bus Drivers and Operators Association chairman Dr M. Muruga said a proposal of the appeal was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office in November last year.
He said the members had also requested assistance in applying for government loans to purchase new buses in the document.
“We hope this proposal will be prioritised, as this issue has persisted since the Covid-19 pandemic ended.
“We are simply asking for an additional few more years because we did not operate during the pandemic,” he said when contacted.Muruga said a new van is priced between RM150,000 and RM180,000 while a school bus can cost up to RM500,000.
“Buying new vehicles is a huge financial burden and that is why we often purchase second-hand buses between 10 and 20 years old,” he said.
Muruga said of the association’s 5,000 members, some 25% operate school buses and the rest use school vans.
“Most of them are single mothers or elderly people, and at least 60% are driving vehicles that are over 20 years old,” he added.
The association had also asked for financial aid of RM500 per month for two months at the end of this year when the start of the new school year is being adjusted back to January in 2026.
“The school holiday period will fall in November and December this year, which means we won’t be able to run our business during that time,” he said.
