ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has decided to scrap buses under semi luxury category in Kataragama- Colombo bus route from Wednesday midnight onwards, Minister of Transportation Bandula Gunawardana said.
“Before the crisis there were categories of buses such as normal, semi luxury and luxury, with different bus fares,” Gunewardana said.
“From today onwards there will be no such buses in the Kataragama – Colombo route via Galle road.”
Passengers had complained that buses without air-conditioning, built on hard sprung truck chassis with uncomfortable seats were charging higher fees under semi-luxury category by simply putting curtains.
Owners of 28 buses in the route have agreed to re categorize the buses as ‘normal’, and reduce the price from 1,541 rupees to 1,117 rupees.
The National Transport Commission was looking into whether fares can be cut after a recent reduction in diesel prices. Train fares however will not be cut.
“The train fare will not be revised, because the Department has already made a massive operating loss,” Gunawardana said.
“With the recent price revisions, we are barely managing the fuel cost and all salaries as well as overtime are being paid using the taxes.” (Colombo/ Jan05/2023)
About busses, and even three-wheelers, most of them have lost the properties of their shock absorbers and have become hard and uncomfortable on ripply roads. All normal buses carrying passengers, are built on chassis meant to carry or transport cargo and are hard-sprung. The officers responsible who passed such buses for use should be held responsible and charged. Even the seat arrangements/positioning have been altered and tall people find it difficult to sit comfortably.