This is the 3rd year my bunny is taking a school bus to school. No major hipcups in the 1st 2 years. In fact, the bus driver uncles are nice and the bus attendant aunites are caring towards my bunny. My bunny also likes and respects them alot.
But... things are not the same anymore...
2013, 30th Dec...
The school posted a statement on FB saying the current school bus operator is asking for a ridiculous price hike and hence they are going to change an operator. The school also advised us that the new bus operator will contact us within the next 2 days, latest by 1st Jan 2014 so that school can start without fail on 2nd Jan...
2014, 1st Jan... 10pm at night
We received news the day before from someone claiming to be a bus driver with regards to the drop off timing for my bunny. I asked him about the pick up schedule but he told me it will be a different driver hence the new driver will contact me shortly. The day before school commence, at 10pm, no news from either the bus driver or the bus operator. Checked my FB accounts and realised that lots of parents in same scenarios as me.
The school posted another statement on FB saying if details on pick up is not received, parents have 2 options: To send the kids to school themselves, or let the kids miss school on both 2nd and 3rd and only resume school on 6th when the logistics issue is settled... Huh!
Dear and I concluded... We will let the big bunny skipped school on Thu and Fri then...
2014, 2nd Jan... 2 hours before school commence
I received a call from someone claiming to be a bus driver who is in charge of pick up..
Bus uncle: "Hello.. Mrs Lim, is your boy going to school today?"
Me: "Well, that depends on whether he got transportation to school anot! No one called me before... But if you picking him up, I will let him attend school"
Bus uncle: "Okie, I will come pick your boy up. In one hour time. To wait at the road side."
Me: "Okie..."
So off we prepare and pack our big bunny to school..
Meanwhile, while nearing school dismissal times, I saw from FB that some parents are commenting that their kids in the morning session haven't reach home yet. Some were as late as 4 to 5 hours. When called the bus operator, the kids' name are on the list but they are physically not there. Panic parents went around frantically looking for their kids, only to discover that they had either boarded the wrong bus or they are detained in school as they had miss their appointed bus.
Naturally, I was worried hence I decided to be a P.I for an hour.... to go to school, wait for my boy to be dismissed and trailed behind him and his school bus until he successfully reached home.
End of the day, my bunny made it successfully to and from school via the correct school bus and quite on schedules (only +- 15minutes). Lucky us.
That same night, the school issued another statement. School close for all on Friday, 3rd for them to assess what went wrong and to go through the logistics again. So drama.
My big bunny is naturally very happy about this unplanned holiday.
2014, 4th Jan... at night...
I received a call from the school, informing us that school will not commence till 8th, Wed. The school had reviewed the school bus issue and had decided to revert back to the old school bus operator. At the same time, the school bus operator had also accepted to lower the % of bus fare hike for the parents.
2014, 8th Jan...
My bunny went to school... All is well with the school bus... Same drivers as the previous year... On time buses...
2014, 15th Jan...
All went well with the school bus schedule... But parents were only informed by the school that there will be a price hike of absolute amount of $10-$15 per kid... Exact school fee payable still unknown...
That same evening, my bunny brought home his school bus card... Price hike for the journey is at $15, which is almost 16% from prior year.. sigh.. so much..
To conclude...
Nothing for me to complain about as the price hike is within the range advised by the school and my bunny does go to school and reach home on time and safely.. But I guessed I am one of the lucky parent... Read from FB that some parents received price hike as much as $30 to $40, which is way higher than what the school communicated and it came to an extend that some parents decided to fetch their kids to and from school...
If you ask me, the school bus fare is indeed expensive but this is something that we had cater for in our budget and is still within the range communicated by the school... And we really like how our bunny had become more independent... he had also enjoyed the bus ride alot... Him taking the school bus can also free up lots of time for my in-laws with the logistics...
So to conclude.. why not... and not why i should not... =)
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