The autorickshaw and van operators doing the school trips have increased the fare by up to 15% in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
Parents of children studying in private and aided schools across Tiruchi are facing an additional financial burden this academic year as several school autorickshaw and van operators have increased transportation charges, citing a sharp rise in fuel prices.
Operators said the recent increase in petrol, diesel, and CNG prices had made it difficult to continue services at existing rates. As of June 6, petrol is priced at ₹108 a litre, diesel at ₹100 a litre, and CNG at ₹94 a litre.
According to transport operators, fares have been revised by 10% to 15% on many routes, depending on the distance covered. Several autorickshaw operators have increased charges by around ₹500 per child. For instance, the fare for children travelling from Thillai Nagar to Kamala Niketan Montessori School in Cantonment has risen from ₹2,000 to ₹2,500. A similar increase has been reported for transportation from Woraiyur to Holy Cross School in Singarathope.
Meanwhile, the fare for children travelling from Crawford to St. James School in Cantonment has increased from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500.
“CNG and petrol prices have gone up considerably over the past few weeks. Apart from fuel, the costs of vehicle servicing, tyres, and spare parts have increased. We had no option but to revise transport charges,” said M. Siva, a school van operator in the city.
Some private schools in the city that operate their own transport services have reportedly increased fees by an average of 10%.
Parents have expressed concern over the increase, saying it comes at a time when families are coping with expenses related to school fees and other educational requirements. “The increase in transport charges has added to our financial burden. The additional transport charges have increased the strain on families, especially those with more than one child studying in school,” said G. Meenakshi, a parent.
Transport operators, however, said that the fare revision was necessary to ensure uninterrupted services. They pointed out that many operators had absorbed previous fuel price increases and were now struggling to meet rising operating expenses.
Parents hope transport charges will remain stable in the coming months while operators say any future revisions will depend on fuel prices and overall operating costs.
Published – June 06, 2026 06:57 pm IST
