Most private buses cannot operate due to diesel shortage

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Around 50% of private buses did not operate yesterday due to the prevailing diesel shortage the All Ceylon Private Bus Owners Association Chairman Anjana Priyanjith said.

Priyanjith said they had warned the government last week that private buses would run out of fuel by the weekend unless there was a resolution to the fuel shortage.

“Most gas stations don’t have diesel. Some of the sheds that did only gave limited quantities.

Hundreds of buses were stranded on the roads on Sunday because they ran out of fuel. This is not something any bus owner or crew want to experience,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said that they had still not received adequate quantities of fuel for diesel power plants. Thus, power shedding had to continue.