Ewert Metzgen, Secretary, BBA says students aren't using half the seat, so there's no way they should pay half the fare:

Ewert Metzgen, Secretary, BBA
"One of the biggest thing that is there is student pricing, because that was never agreed on with the bus association and the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry of Education is paying millions of dollars a year for school contracts with busses. Students don't pay to go to school because the government provides school busses for them. So why will you look at the bus operators and tell them that you have to charge the students half price when you the government already catering for them. You provide school busses free of charge to them."

Reporter
"Thats perhaps the school contracts don't cover every student."

Ewert Metzgen, Secretary, BBA
"It covers high school and primary school. Tertiary education students they are not covered under that. They are adults, they pay adult prices."

Reporter
"But sir, they are students, they are at school."

Ewert Metzgen, Secretary, BBA
"The government does not cover them, high school and primary school."

Reporter
"What about students that go to high school that are perhaps not covered under government contracts, private schools?"

Ewert Metzgen, Secretary, BBA
"Ma'am, what I am saying here might sound harsh, we are in business to make money and not to lose money."

Channel 7