Private busmen warned to improve service

Incentives for those maintaining commuter-friendly bus service:

Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: In a stern warning to private bus operators, Transport Minister A.H.M. Fowzie yesterday vowed to take over private buses which fail to provide a quality service to commuters in line with regulations issued by the Government.

"We have issued a deadline for bus operators to comply with these regulations and improve the quality of their service. If they fail to do so their buses will be taken over to the Government without compensation," the Minister said.

He was addressing a ceremony to mark the expansion of the Sri Lanka Transport Board's women only bus service to Moratuwa.

Fowzie said that while cracking down on defaulting bus operators, the Government was also ready to provide incentives to those who maintain a commuter-friendly bus service.

Accordingly, bus owners who abide by the regulations on providing a quality service to the public will be given the opportunity to import new buses free of duty.

The Transport Ministry reintroduced regulations making it an offence for private bus operators to overload passengers this week.

In terms of the regulations, the permitted number of passengers in AC buses has been limited to seating capacity while the permitted number of standing passengers in normal buses has been restricted to 50 per cent of the seating capacity.