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Fuel prices and private bus fares

Doublespeak seems to be Private Bus Owners' Association president Gemunu Wijeratne's response to the Government's recent announcement of a reduction in fuel prices. While admitting that the Government has the authority to reduce private bus fares in keeping with fuel price reductions he has made no clear statement on whether the envisaged price drop would be willingly passed on to the commuter in the form of a commensurate reduction in private bus fares, by the private bus sector.

"The oil price reductions will permit only a cutback of around three percent. Commuters could have truly benefited if there was a reduction of at least Rs five in diesel prices." This was Wijeratne's cruptic and confusing statement in response to queries whether the price reduction in diesel would result in lower private bus fares. Read along with his lamentations on allegedly rising running costs this statement could be construed as meaning that private bus operators' organisations have no intention of voluntarily reducing bus fares. Commuters couldn't expect to "truly benefit" from the relief measure announced by the State. However, in the same breath, the PBOA boss admits that the Government has the right to reduce private bus fares in keeping with fuel price reductions.

That such ambivalence cannot be tolerated by the Government goes without saying. Instead of being held to ransom by private bus operators' organisations, the State needs to put its foot down and compel these groups to fall in line with Government policy. In terms of the recently drawn up national policy on bus fares, reductions in fuel prices should be reflected in lower bus fares. Private bus operators cannot be allowed to violate this patently just fare policy.

As we observed yesterday, enforcement of price reductions is the prime challenge facing the Government. While a less regimented and de-regulated economy could help in spurring and bringing to fruition the entrepreneurial acumen of the business community, the latter cannot be allowed to stand in the way of implementing relief measures for the people. Facilitating the introduction of such measures is a task for the State, which can in no way be soft-pedalled.

As we have commented before, problems of this nature should remind the State of the wisdom of strengthening its services. The public needs to be protected from the eccentricities of the market if their well being is to be assured. One of the most effective ways of achieving this is for the State to vibrantly sustain its essential services.

The State bus sector came in very handy at the private bus operators' strike a few weeks ago. This service has to be steadily built-up if the State and the public is not to be held to ransom by excessively profit-conscious but socially-insensitive private bus operators.

Grenade at the dance

What sort of fool, you may ask, dances with a grenade. What bigger fool would unpin and throw it at your fellow revellers.

But that is exactly what happened at the Kotuwegoda Stadium in Matara a few days ago, when one person was killed and at least fifty injured when a grenade was thrown into a dancing, singing crowd enjoying themselves at a musical show.

Various accusations are being made after the event, that rivals of the organizers were responsible, or that nefarious elements bent on disturbing the peace were behind the attack.

But whoever was responsible, we have to sadly acknowledge that the incident is a symptom of the trauma that our nation has suffered because of the war. The children who tragically dug up a mortar in Morawewa are as much victims of the same war.

The guns may be silent on the battlefield, but the weapons are killing anyway.

Many other nations like ours which have suffered lengthy conflicts have a hangover of the proliferation of weapons and it is up to both the general public and the authorities to ensure that danger from these deadly devices is minimized.

It is certainly a difficult task but public education and strict law enforcement must be a way of making this country safer from these devices.

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