Ensuring efficient passenger transport

The travelling public would no doubt have heaved a huge sigh of relief at the cancellation of the threatened strike by private bus operators yesterday. They were to stage a token strike demanding a One-rupee hike to the present minimal route fare. Transport Minister Kumara Welgama had rightly pointed out that any fare hike at this stage was unreasonable when bus fare revisions are scheduled to take place only in July.

Nevertheless at discussions between the Private Bus Operators' Association representatives and a group of Ministers the latter has promised to take up the issue at the highest levels. The strike was called off thereafter. In this regard the stand taken by Minister Welgama not to give in to the threats of the Private Bus Operators' Association is to be commended. The Minister at the very outset made it plain that the Government was equipped to face the challenge of the strikers and that contingency plans were in place to ensure an uninterrupted service to the public.

The Minister no doubt would receive the plaudits of the public for not caving into the demands of the private bus operators who have become a law unto themselves holding the general public to ransom with their unreasonable demands.

This may also be a good opportunity to clean up the mess in the private bus sector and introduce a disciplined, efficient service to the public. Today private buses are off the roads by 9 pm and the large crowds of commuters at the Pettah bus stands late in the nights are a clear indication of the arbitrary and dictatorial fashion in which these private buses operate.

Today with heightened commercial activity entailing long working hours stretching late into the nights there is a need for a proper streamlined transport service operating at all hours to cater to the working public. It need not be emphasized that public transport plays a key role for the proper functioning of the economy. A breakdown in the system could only be to the detriment to the country as a whole.

Now that the Minister has taken the bull by the horns so to speak he should also go further and remedy all the irregularities and shortcomings in the private bus sector which has been operating as a cartel all these years causing much travails and harassment to the travelling public.

He should begin with by laying down standards of recruitment of private bus crew. Today most operators hire men of dubious character who are wont to ride rough shod over hapless passengers and who are chiefly responsible for overloading by resorting to uncouth ways.

The Minister should also launch an investigation to round up all unroadworthy buses which cause a grave threat to both commuters and pedestrians.

Although issuing tickets are made compulsory this is still not being done in most of the private buses making it impossible for travellers to make claims or compensation in case of accidents.

There was talk some time ago to make private bus operators foot the medical bills of their accident victims. Whether this is being implemented currently is not known.

Minister Welgama would also do well to come down hard on speed fiends who have made our highways veritable death traps. Special teams in mufti should be deployed to pounce on these elements to make the roads safe for the public.

This is not done by the members of the khaki brigade since as is well known some of our top police officers are the proud owners of private buses. Stringent laws should also be introduced to deal with the offenders since the present laws are woefully ineffective where such errant drivers come out on bail no sooner they have been arrested - a reason that has prompted the general public to take the law into the hands by setting fire to buses at accidents scenes.

The ideal scenario no doubt would be to break the monopoly of the private bus sector through an efficient streamlined public transport set up that adheres to the rule of law and also make travelling a pleasant experience to the general public. For this we need to increase the present fleet of SLCTB buses which is woefully inadequate to meet the ever-rising demand which is taken advantage by the private operators to hold the Government and the travelling public to ransom. It is hoped that the Minister would before long remedy all ills and shortcomings in the public transport sector, so that the ordinary masses could travel without hassle and safely to their destinations at all times of the day.