He said that if school bus fares are hiked and it burdens parents, Putrajaya will not hesitate to revoke the licence of operators.

“I’m giving a warning, if you are given diesel subsidies but you still raise (your fares)… we will retract your licence,” he said in a speech at an event with civil servants here today.

Yesterday, FMT quoted the Federation of School Bus Associations Malaysia as saying that the fleet card under the subsidised diesel control system (SKDS) programme had helped school and express bus operators maintain their fares.

Its president Amali Munif Rahmat said the monthly diesel quota of 1,800 litres at RM1.88 per litre for school buses allowed them to keep operational costs under control.

However, news portal Scoop quoted individual school bus operators in the Klang Valley as saying they planned to raise their fares as the monthly diesel quota under the fleet card was insufficient.

Meanwhile, Malay Express Bus Operators Association Peninsular Malaysia president Laili Ismail told FMT that Putrajaya had agreed to temporarily increase the 2,880 litre diesel quota for express buses by 50%.

Laili said this meant that express bus drivers would receive a quota of 4,320 litres at RM1.88 per litre every month.