Bus, train services better than normal

Rajmi MANATUNGA

COLOMBO: Public transport services operated smoothly yesterday despite the much-publicised threats by the National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) to cripple passenger transport through an islandwide token strike.

According to transport authorities, train and bus operations in the Capital and other parts of the country were carried out as usual, while several attempts to subvert the services were thwarted by the public and law enforcement authorities.

“Public transport workers defied the strike call by the UNP-JVP-TNA combine and in fact, the services were even better than on a normal day,” Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.

He expressed his gratitude to transport workers who displayed courage in the face of threats and intimidation to uphold the principle “country first”.

Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Chairman Tudor Dayaratne told the Daily News that the so-called trade union action had no impact whatsoever on the State bus service, which is why they were able to operate 240 buses in addition to the Board’s usual operating fleet.

The number of buses which operated throughout the island yesterday exceeded 4,900 whereas the regular fleet comprises only 4,663 buses. We are grateful to all the SLTB employees who did not take part in this strike, he said.

Dayaratne said that 29 incidents of sabotage were reported from different areas, the majority comprising acts such as throwing stones at buses, deflating tyres using nails and spikes, and throwing tar at buses and drivers.

In a temple in Batagoda where buses had been parked, police, while trying to arrest a saboteur, recovered his documents indicating that he is a JVP union member at the Horana depot who had come to puncture the bus tyres.

We will take disciplinary action against this employee, he added. Railways General Manager Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said the strike did not have the slightest effect on train operations as at 12 pm yesterday, with no train cancellations or significant delays. In fact, 349 trains were operated yesterday as opposed to 346 on Wednesday.

However, incidents were reported from Kurunegala and Batticaloa where groups had thrown tar at trains and along the coastal line where the track had been blocked with concrete sleepers at certain points, in addition to cable destructions.