Schools told to pay salary of bus drivers, conductors

Heads of educational institute could close down bus service owing to lack of funds

ISLAMABAD: In a move which could finally lead to a resolution for dozens of bus drivers of schools in the federal capital who have not been paid for over a year, the government has finally directed heads of all schools with such drivers to clear dues of transporters.

The directions were issued by Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) for transporters employed to drive buses provided to schools in the federal capital under the Prime Minister’s Education Reforms programme.

Salaries of 140 drivers and conductors of 70 buses have been pending for the past 16 months and amount to around Rs33.6 million which the school heads say they are unable to pay from the available pool of funds.

The drivers and conductors were hired on contracts under the educational reforms programme during deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure.

Initially, they were being given the minimum wage, Rs15,000 per month, as salary. After a year, the budget allocated for the next contract was never approved. Instead of money, these drivers only received verbal assurances of being paid.

But after going unpaid for over a year, the drivers and conductors grew desperate and late last month launched a strike whereby the stopped driving the vehicles. They also started to stage protests in different parts of the federal capital, including outside the FDE’s offices and last week they attempted to encircle Federal Health Minister Shafqat Mahmood as he exited an event at a government school in the city.

Owing to the protests, the FDE fired these employees and also refused to clear their dues. Now, it has decided to shift the burden on to the schools’ shoulders.

Sources in the educational set up of the federal capital said that area education officers, on behalf of FDE Director General Syed Umair Javed, have verbally directed school heads to clear the dues of transporters using their own funds.

The official added that FDE has given schools the choice to either continue this service, albeit at their own expense or terminate it forthwith.

The school heads, unable to afford the salaries of drivers and conducts, could shut down the bus service which helps ferry students to and from schools.

Despite repeated attempts, Javed could not be reached for comment. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2019.