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Private bus owners against CTB listing

by Rajmi Manatunga

The Private Bus Owners Association has decided to oppose the decision of the Ceylon Transport Board to sell 50 per cent of its cluster bus companies at the Colombo Stock Market. Speaking to Daily News, PBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne said that the sale of cluster bus companies will lead to a conflict in the transport sector as more and more buses from other companies will be on road once the provincial councils provide them with route permits.

"Today 17,000 private buses operate around the country and I think that number is sufficient to fulfil the needs of commuters. We can't ask the government not to sell these companies as they are running at a loss. But there should be a proper plan to make them profitable rather than allowing foreign companies to operate on our routes," he claimed. Wijeratne questioned as to why the previous government failed to take these companies out of the mess even after spending a huge sum of public money on them. It is said that the Treasury has released Rs. 300 million and Rs 571 million in years 2001 and 2000 respectively to uplift the bankrupt-companies.

The PBOA however said that it would always welcome competition and was willing to allow other bus companies to operate in remote areas where transport facilities were scarce. The matter is expected to be taken up when the Association representatives meet Advisor to the Prime Minister, R. Paskaralingam today. Thirteen cluster companies are currently operating in the country at district and zonal levels and the CTB earlier this week invited private investors to buy them.

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