Schools across the city are set to open from November 23 for older students with many riders, guidelines, permutations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). But the school bus owners and operators, a vital cog in the educational ecosystem, are still waiting for some kind of direction. Currently, all they are getting is stony silence.

Anil Garg, president, School Bus Owner’s Association (SBOA) Maharashtra, said, "We are waiting for SOPs from the government. We have had meetings, written letters, but there has been no relief. Government buses are working to capacity, school buses have been idling. The government has simply stated that owners must pay their staff. Do not cut salaries, owners were told. How does one propose to do that with no work for months?" asked Garg, angrily adding, "All the time it is kisaan, kisaan, kisaan, (farmers) for our political parties. We respect farmers, but do transport people not matter?"