National policy for private transport services- Minister C B Ratnayake

A national policy will be formulated to regulate private transport services especially private buses, three wheelers and school vans. All types of private buses will be covered by the policy, said Private Transport Services Minister C B Ratnayake during an interview with the Daily News.

We will use the GPS technology and cameras in private buses, he added.

Here are extracts of the interview:

Q: What are the plans of your ministry this year to push forward Mahinda Chinthanaya - Vision for the Future?

A: The main aim is to provide a quality transport service. New technology should be added to the transport service to match the 21st century. A proper timetable will be introduced for private and public bus services. Employees' welfare will be assured. ETF, EPF and an insurance scheme will be introduced. Workshops will be held to educate private bus workers on their duties, responsibilities and public relations including the importance of wearing uniforms. Arrangements will also be made to provide healthy meals and clean sanitary facilities for passengers when they travel in private buses.

Q: What is your assessment of the past two years of the UPFA government's second term?

A: Several political parties got together and formed the UPFA government under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to develop the country. Today expressways have been built and village roads have been carpeted. Now villages have electricity. Schools have been developed with computer facilities.

There are jobs for youths who pass out from universities. The health sector has already achieved a significant development. Over 70 percent of people have a livelihood through the agriculture sector. A fertilizer subsidiary of Rs 350 was given to them in the first phase. Vegetables, fruits and other food items are now freely available in the country. Now a bag of fertilizer worth around Rs 3,600 is offered to farmers for only Rs 1,200. All nine provinces are now producing agricultural products which created a surplus recently.

There are global issues such as the increase of fuel price which has a direct impact on our economic development. We have to manage such issues. Today our traditional lifestyle has completely changed. Today family members living under one roof communicate over their mobile phones. This is wasting money for nothing.

Today people travel along the expressway and visit Hambantota and Colombo harbours. People pay money to travel in the expressway.

When the first ever container arrived at the Colombo harbour many decades ago, leftist political parties protested at the Lipton Circus stating 'Let's defeat container killer'. But today nothing like that happens. If the protest won and was accepted at that time, today we do not have an international harbour. We have to move hand in hand with the advancement of technology retaining our human qualities.

Today human qualities have faded away from society. The safety of women and children has been ignored in the name of money. We have to thank Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for starting a programme to ensure the safety of people.

Today anybody can see the cleanliness and beauty of the Colombo city. For the first time in history, the world saw free Sri Lanka celebrating the Vesak festival in a grand scale without fearing for life. But some went to Geneva and said that we violated human rights because such elements wanted to grab power.

The Defence Secretary gave a good reply to Tamil Nadu politicians recently and told them to set up Tamil Eelam in South India and not in Sri Lanka. First of all, we need to cultivate patriotic feelings in us. We should love our motherland and make our future generation do the same. We do not need to do much to achieve this target. Because our parents, wives and children have already sacrificed their son, husband and father for the country.

We have to find our own way out from the problems. We do not need to listen or accept foreign or NGO solutions.

Q: How do you see third party intervention in a country’s internal affairs?

A: Third party intervention should not be used as a tool to take advantage by being biased and grab resources belonging to a country. We, Sri Lankans suffered a lot until 1948. The colonialists taxed mother’s milk. Knowing all this some persons still act as traitors and betray their motherland. A third party should be a genuinely independent body which does not exploit countries.

Q: There are many problems in connection with the private transport service such as sexually abusing women, verbally and physically harassing passengers, not issuing tickets and not giving back balance, delaying journeys etc. Do you have solutions?

A: Yes of course. Passengers should immediately inform all problems to the National Transport Commission (NTC). I will not protect any perpetrator using my political power and will not give into pressure. A private bus owned by a brother of a Mayor ill-treated a pregnant woman who asked for a seat. The buses owned by this person display political leaders’ photographs to mislead the public. A programme is required to educate private bus workers. They cannot play with people’s lives. Under the Penal Code, it is a crime if the person who holds temporary custody of a person’s life (driver) destroys it.

A National Policy will be formulated to regulate private transport services especially private buses, three wheelers and school vans. All types of private buses normal, luxury, semi luxury and super luxury will be covered by the National Policy.

We will use the GPS technology and cameras in private buses. We have already introduced the GPS technology to monitor their movements.

One private bus operator removed the GPS unit from his bus and fixed it in to a motorcycle to mislead us.

The GPS unit will be sealed. If the seal is broken, the route permit of the bus will be canceled. We are ready to take care of the entire private transport service starting from the cart to aircraft.

Q: Comment on the various allegations on issuing route permits.

A: If the number of private buses required is 5,000, further route permits cannot be issued. When route permits are not issued, applicants are frustrated and speak out in rage and hatred. The unions say various fabricated things to increase their membership.

There is a court judgment in connection to this issue. We do not issue route permits for Rs. 3, 000. There is a proper, accepted and transparent procedure to do this. If I issue permits, there are many people from my electorate to obtain them.

Q: Do you have any special message for the passengers and private bus workers?

A: I request passengers to report all problems to the National Transport Commission (NTC) and be honest. Do not speak in order to take advantages.

I ask all private bus workers to protect their dignity and do not destroyed it by ill-treating passengers. Arrangements will be made to ensure the welfare of private bus workers and their families.