Free school bus service for over 6,500 KL children

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is to provide free school bus service to more than 6,500 children of residents of People's Housing (PPR) and Public Housing (PA) projects beginning Jan 3.
Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan said 165 buses had been readied for the use of primary pupils and secondary students living in the 74 PPR and PA projects in the federal capital.
"The move is aimed at reducing the financial burden of low-income families ... the amount allocated for each student is RM80," he said at a press conference here today.
He said the buses would be operated by appointed bus companies and the cost of operation would be borne entirely by the ministry.
Loga Bala said registered students must be in school uniform when using the service.
He also said that DBKL would impose an annual service charge of RM1,500 for the maintenance of oil traps at food outlets, which would be included in the business licence fee from Jan 1.
Loga Bala said the fee was necessary as the oil traps in most food premises were not maintained, thus affecting the quality of river water in the city.
"This charge is not burdensome because it works out to RM125 per month for each trap, equal to RM4.10 a day, and this is an invaluable investment to achieve the objective of Rivers as the Pulse of Life by 2020," he said.
Loga Bala also said that previously efforts had been made to clean and maintain oil traps but they failed to preserve the quality of river water. — Bernama