The installation of roof hatches in Newfoundland and Labrador school buses will be mandatory as of September. (CBC)

Despite protests from school bus operators in Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial government said it will not cover the cost of installing roof hatches.

As of September, the hatches will be a mandatory safety feature in the event a school bus rolls over on its side. While he isn't opposed to installing the hatches, Josh Gladney, president of Portugal Cove-based Gladney's Bus Limited, said government had initially offered to cover the cost.

"Some people are not actually sure how to install them correctly. They don't come with any instructions, so there's a lot of issues, plus the monetary issue. We were led to believe that the department of education was going to pay for it, but they backed out at the last minute and left us holding the bag," Gladney told CBC News Wednesday.

Gladney, who is the largest school bus contractor in the province, is concerned that his fleet of buses won't meet the September first deadline. He said it will cost about $3,500 to modify each bus, though depending on whom you ask, the cost varies between several hundred and several thousand dollars.

He said if government wants the changes, it should pick up the tab.

"They're trying to say that the onus is on us. But the government let this go for a number of years and all of a sudden they want all these upgrades done out of the blue," said Gladney.

However, Government Services Minister Kevin O'Brien said the specifications for school bus safety features were laid out in the tendering process. He said bus companies have had since last August to comply and no government money was ever promised for the installation.

"That is the responsibility, in my mind, of the operators," said O'Brien. "That may be a misconception on their part. From my point of view as the minister responsible for enforcing the regulations, I'm moving forward on that because the buck stops at my desk when it comes to the safety of the children."

O'Brien said he's willing to be somewhat flexible on the September deadline for installation of the roof hatches on buses. However, flexibility on the cost isn't an option.

"I'll try to be as flexible as I can, but if it comes to that, I mean parents are going to have to look at alternative ways to get their children to school," said O'Brien.