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| Wednesday, 2 March 2005 |
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by Rajmi Manatunga The National Transport Commission (NTC) is drawing up plans to regularise and expand the private bus sector to provide a more reliable service to commuters. Deploying private buses on uneconomical routes, introducing subsidised school services, providing a proper training to private bus employees and building new bus stops are among the highlights of the Commission's plans for 2005. A Transport Ministry spokesman told the Daily News that the Government has already allocated funds for these projects which will be launched within the next two months. "Private buses comprise over 70 per cent of the passenger bus service in Sri Lanka. However, their operations are confined to the populated and profitable routes. This has caused problems for people in rural areas of the country where only a handful of CTB buses are operating," he said. According to the program, a subsidised bus service will be launched whereby private bus owners will be reimbursed by the NTC for the loss incurred by operating on uneconomical routes. The program will commence in April with a pilot project on 25 rural routes. "School bus services will also be launched by private bus operators according to the same system. Buses will be deployed to 50 schools under the first phase of the project," he said. The NTC has also decided to provide a two-year training to drivers and conductors employed and to be employed in private buses. The program, aimed at ensuring road safety, will be assisted by the provincial transport authorities. |
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