Freeloader fines to increase

4 August 2011 02:54 pm Views - 3654

The Transport Ministry said today that SLTB buses will introduce fines for those who fail to purchase a bus ticket and that fines will be increased for the non-issue of bus tickets to bus passengers by bus conductors in order to stop the prevailing bus ticket issues.

Transport Deputy Minister, Rohana Dissanayake said a bus fine for passengers travelling in a SLTB bus without a ticket was Rs.250 in addition to double the amount of the general bus fare. However it has now been increased to Rs.500 plus double the amount of the bus fare.

The Deputy Minister said that the fine for bus conductors will also be increased but said that it has sill not been determined by how much the fare will be increased. In addition to that the bus conductor and driver could also face legal action or other stringent action, he said. The SLTB has collected Rs.785,000 from fines pertaining to the non-issue of bus tickets, he said.

National Transport Commission Quality Assurance Director, Chandrasiri Weerasekara said that it has no plans to increase fines for private buses at present. However a fine for not issuing a bus tickets in private buses at present varies from Rs.1,500 to Rs.15,000. If tickets are not issued more than four times, then route permits are confiscated, he said.

He said at present there is no mechanism to fine passengers. (By Olindhi Jayasundere)