School van fares up by as much as 40% in Islamabad and Rawalpindi after petrol rise

School van operators in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have raised monthly fares by up to 40% following the recent rise in petrol prices, ProPakistani reported on 2 November, citing APP. Parents say they are being asked for an extra Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 a month with no regulator to appeal to.

What parents are being charged

One mother of two told the report that her children's van fare for a short run from G-10 to a school in F-7 went up from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 a month. That is a 33% rise for a trip of about ten minutes. Parents said many schools sit just three to five kilometres from students' homes, which makes the jump harder to accept.

They also complained that operators charge the full fee through summer and winter vacations, and that parents have no authority to question the charges. Some pointed out that the government has announced a petrol subsidy for vehicles with engines up to 800cc, which they say should ease operators' costs.

The operators' side

Van owners defend the increases. One operator said higher petrol and CNG prices, vehicle maintenance and traffic fines have made the old rates unworkable. He added that parents overlook costs such as fuel, driver salaries and the commissions some operators pay to schools. By his account, fares had gone up by only Rs 1,500, which he called justified.

What it adds up to

Using the figures parents quoted, an extra Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 a month is Rs 24,000 to Rs 48,000 a year per child if charged all twelve months. For a family with two children on one van, that is a real addition to the school budget.

PSO's ex-depot Karachi petrol price is tracked on our petrol price page, and you can work out your own running costs with the fuel cost calculator. If you drive the school run yourself, the fuel average calculator shows what a litre buys you.

Source: ProPakistani, 2 November 2026, citing APP. Fare figures are parents' and operators' own accounts, not a notified rate.