'Plans afoot to develop CTB, CGR'

Sandasen Marasinghe, Irangika Range and Disna Mudalige

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama yesterday stated that plans are afoot to develop the transport service by developing the CTB and the CGR.

Minister made this observation yesterday joining the committee stage debate on the Appropriation Bill under the Finance Heads of the Transport Ministry.

The minister stated that measures have been taken to allow the CTB to get buses under a leasing system to increase its fleet as most of the buses are old.

He also stated that it was not the government that destroyed CTB and set the buses on fire. He also stated those 2,000 buses in CTB that are over six years old and 2,500 buses are older than 15 years. He added that CTB cannot earn profits as the expenditure is higher than income. The minister also stated that measure are taken to extend the railway line from Omanthai to Palali and to construct railway stations in between. Then the railway line will be extended to Kankesanthurai.

Welgama also stated the railway line will be extended from Madhu to Thalai in the Mannar track.

He also added as soon as the loan is passed, the construction works of the Kataragama line will commence. The first phase will be up to Beliatta.

Minister Welgama further stated that there are plans to provide buses to the North and East provinces.

As for the first phase 52 buses have been handed over to the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Out of them, 29 buses were given to Northern Province and 23 to the Eastern Province.