Private buses operated only for five months since March 2020 – LPBOA

Gemunu suggests how to ease congestion

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Private buses only operated for five months during the last 17 months, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) President Gemunu Wijeratne said yesterday.

“Since March 2020, the transport sector has been seriously affected by COVID. Not only did buses operate for just 150 days, but only about 40% of private buses operated,” he said.

Wijeratne said that there were about 20,000 private buses and 5,000 SLTB buses in the country. Only about 8,000 private buses were operational on average in the last 17 month.

“Even the SLTB and Railway Department have made huge losses. People always blame bus operators for taking a lot of people violating quarantine laws. This happens only at certain times, but usually when people travel to and from work. We asked the government to consider whether the state sector could work in two shifts and the private sector start offices by 10 am. This will stop congestion,” he said.