PMERP completed: Last batch of 70 buses handed over to schools

FDE DG promises to resolve issue of unpaid dues to drivers, conductors

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday handed over 70 buses to state-run schools in the federal capital to ferry their students to and from their houses. The distribution of buses completes a federal government programme to provide 200 buses to schools in Islamabad.

The ceremony, though, also saw a protest by the drivers and conductors, who had been contracted to drive buses distributed previously, for non-payment of dues.

Around 200 buses had been procured under the Prime Minister Education Reforms Programme (PMERP) for the 423 government-run schools in Islamabad. Previously, the government has distributed 130 buses amongst the schools in two tranches. This is the last tranche of buses to be distributed.

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On Monday, keys to these buses were handed over to the principals of the recipient schools.

Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Director General Dr Ali Ahmed Kharal distributed the keys to the buses amongst principals in a ceremony on Monday. On the occasion, he said that all buses were being provided to schools under the Federal Government (FG) set up in the city.

“These buses are not supposed to be taken and parked, they are supposed to run on the road,” Dr Kharal said.

However, even as Dr Kharal handed the keys to the buses to the schools, the FDE did not provide any budget to pay for the fuel of these vehicles, or money to hire drivers and conductors. As a result, the cash-strapped FG schools in the city will have few options — especially in the absence of a supplementary grant from the government – other than to pass on the financial burden to run these buses onto the students.



FDE Schools Director Saqib Shahab explained that until they get a budget from the finance ministry, these buses will be run on a cost-sharing basis — wherein students will have to pay fees for the bus pick and drop service. In this regard, a formal order will be issued by the relevant quarter.

He added that if any school fails to get its bus on to the roads for three months, the FDE will be liable to assign the bus to a different school in the city.

The distribution was made on the principle of a ratio set by FDE i.e. 60% girls and 40% boys’ schools and colleges. Among all the 200 buses, schools will get 97, model colleges will get 62, FG colleges will get 36 buses.

Drivers, conductors protest

As the bus distribution ceremony was taking place, some bus drivers and conductors contracted by some state-run schools in the federal capital staged a protest against their unpaid salaries.



Protestors said that they have been driving buses of state-run schools in the federal capital for the past year and a half without any salaries.

They demanded that the relevant officials take notice of their plight and ensure that they are paid their dues.

FDE Director General Dr Kharal met with the protesting drivers and conductors and explained that because no budget was allocated for their salaries, they have not been paid. He urged the protesters to send their representative to his office for deliberations to find an amicable resolution to the problem. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2019.