The Consumer Authority will be probing complaints by parents of Church school students that transport fees will increase from the upcoming scholastic year.

The authority said it will be investigating after it was approached by a number of parents. 

The statement comes shortly after Education Minister Evarist Bartolo also posted on Facebook that he had been approached by a student's parent who accused school transport operators of trying to absorb budget incentives.

Times of Malta on Thursday reported that one of the van companies raised its prices to such an extent that tax rebates meant to encourage parents to use the vans had become irrelevant.

The government introduced a tax credit of up to €150 in the 2014 Budget (depending on number of children). Now, those using Coop Services Ltd are complaining that the increase in its prices have rendered the incentive useless.

The parents who complained claimed the price increases varied between €50 and €70 per child. They questioned what could justify this, given the decrease in fuel prices in recent months.

Reacting to the complaints, a spokesman for the company said that every service provider increases its tariffs from time to time in order to be able to meet its operational costs, and Coop Services Limited is no exception.