The School and College Bus Operators’ Association, Punjab, is holding a state-level Maha Panchayat at the grain market in Bathinda on Thursday to press for its demands, including a separate transport policy and lower taxes for school and college buses.In view of the protest, several schools affiliated to the Federation of Private Schools and Associations of Punjab remained closed in Bathinda, Barnala and Mansa districts.Some parents were seen dropping their wards off at schools.Gurpreet Singh Sra, president of the School and College Bus Operators’ Association, said the association is seeking a separate tax structure for school and college buses, pointing out that these vehicles generally travel only 50-60 km a day, compared with around 500 km by regular buses, but are currently covered under the same tax structure.”We are also demanding that the permissible lifespan of school buses be increased from 15 to 25 years. We also oppose an additional financial burden associated with newer GPS systems,” he said.The union had earlier appealed to parents and school managements to make alternative arrangements or support the operators in raising their demands.Sra said if the government failed to address their demands after the Maha Panchayat, the association would launch district-level protests across the state. “We will also hand over memoranda to ministers,” he said.