UAE | Education
College students stranded after big hike in bus fees
Hundreds of students from the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and Dubai Women's College (DWC) had to find alternative modes of transport when their buses failed to show up last week as classes resumed after the summer break.
- By Manal Ismail and Maysam Ali, Staff Reporters
- Published: 20:06 September 8, 2008
Dubai: Hundreds of students from the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and Dubai Women's College (DWC) had to find alternative modes of transport when their buses failed to show up last week as classes resumed after the summer break.
About 700 students rely on buses to reach their campuses every day. About half a dozen students have already left their colleges since the start of the transport problem.
Dr Howard Reed, senior director of HCT and DWC, said requests were made for 22 buses for the students, but none showed up.
"Various reasons were given," Dr Reed said. "Some said there weren't enough buses, while others said parents and students were not agreeing to pay the new fees. The price hike has been attributed to increased salaries for drivers," he added.
Emirates Transport, the outsourced transport provider for these institutions, increased fees three to four times last year, depending on the location. For instance, a student commuting from Sharjah to DWC, who earlier paid about Dh300, must now shell out Dh1,000.
Under review
The company said in a press release the fee hike was under review, but added it had to adhere to market rates - taking into consideration rising fuel prices, operations and other costs.
The company added the issue would be resolved in two weeks and that it would do its best to facilitate transportation for the students.
Students, meanwhile, feared that the current situation might force them to consider leaving college.
Shaima Ahmad, a student of business technology, said she used to take the bus to college everyday, but now has to rely on her sister to drop her off on her way to work.
"For now, this is working since in most places Ram-adan timings are the same," Shaima said. "However, if the issue is not resolved by the time Ramadan ends, I might have to stop my studies."
Shaima said the cost of transportation was too high and that students and their parents would not be able to pay such a high amount.
Business major Mariam Ebrahim is another student who may have to leave her college if the transport issue is not resolved soon. She said paying the new fees was not an option and every day she had to find a different way to reach her college.
'Reasonable rate'
"There is no way I'll pay more than Dh1,000 every semester to reach college," Mariam said. "I might have to find another college that provides transportation at a reasonable rate."
Colleges in most of the other emirates have not been affected by this change, however.
For example, the fees at Al Ain Women's College, who also use Emirates Transport, have remained at an average of Dh350.
While many institutions provide students with buses, several others do not.
Dubai Men's College and Al Hosn University, for instance, do not provide any transport as most students rely on their own means of reaching the institution.
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