"138 route" buses to go on strike
8 February 2011 10:31 am
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The 138 route buses will go on strike tomorrow if the Western Province Passenger Transport Authority does not revoke the two illegal permits that were recently issued, the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association said
Private Bus owners are currently on strike due to two illegal permits given to two buses plying the Horana-Karanda route and the Bulathsinhala-Pettah route. The association’s President Gemunu Wijeyratne said that despite their protests against this the authorities have not taken any action.
“138 route buses operators will also go on strike tomorrow in protest against the Western Province Passenger Transport Authority for not taking any action on this issue,” Wijeyratne said.
He said that the strikes will continue until the authorities take action to revoke the two permits. The 138 route buses ply from Pettah to Maharagama, Kottawa, Homagama, Mattegoda, Rukmalgama and several other areas.
He said that more than Rs.9 lakhs was lost to the Government as a result of the issuing of these permits. “This money does not go to the Government but to a third party. An investigation should be conducted in its regard,” he said.
He said that in the past one and a half years private buses have gone on strike more than a 100 times due to what he referred to as the authorities lack of concern.
(Olindhi Jayasundere)