Diesel shortage: 90 percent of private buses non-operational

About 90% of the private buses in Sri Lanka were not operational yesterday (02) evening due to the shortage of fuel, Chairman of the All Ceylon Private Bus Owners Association (ACPBOA) Anjana Priyanjith said, addressing journalists in Colombo. ACPBOA is one of the largest private bus operators unions in the country.

“By Wednesday morning about 70% of private buses did not operate because there was no diesel in gas stations. By the evening between 80 – 90% of buses had stopped operating. A large number of buses are waiting in queues to get fuel,” he said.

Priyanjith said that there might not be private buses on the road today (03) if fuel was not issued to the buses on a priority basis.

There are about 11,000 private buses operating in the country according to the Ministry of Transport. These buses need around 531,000 litres of diesel a day.

Meanwhile, about 20% of container trucks, too, ceased operations by yesterday evening, All Island United Container Transport Owners’ Association (AIUCTOA), Co-chairman Sanath Manjula said.

“Moreover, we have stopped operating to areas outside the western province because the fuel shortage is more acute there,” he said.(RK)