THE recent fee increase announced by the Singapore School Transport Association was just a guideline for both bus operators and parents and not meant to be applied across the board.

School bus operators can decide how much to charge but if parents find that the fare increase is way above the recommended rate of $5 to $10, they can file a complaint with the association, said its chairman Wong Ann Lin, 60.

One parent had complained to the association - which represents 90 per cent of the 900 bus operators here - about one operator who wanted to increase his fares by $30 to a new fare of $70 a month.

Mr Wong said: 'I met with him and told him the problem laid with him - why did he charge $40 in the first place? As a parent, if the fares are suddenly increased by so much, of course I won't be happy.'

Eventually, he said, the bus operator settled on a $10 to $15 increase.

Mr Wong also explained why school bus fares should go up next year. 'With diesel prices rising, bus operators were asking us if they could raise fares and by how much, to cover their operating costs.'

Read the full story in tomorrow's edition of The Sunday Times.