The fares on private and SLTB buses will be reduced from February 1 with Rs.8 as the minimum fare sequent to the fuel price reduction introduced by the Power and Energy Ministry.  

Internal Transport Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara told the media today that bus-fare reduction of 10% to 11% would be based on three segments ranging from the minimum fare of Rs.8 to the highest fare of Rs.651 for normal bus transport.

The price difference for the first section will be Rs.1 with the highest being between Rs.41 and Rs.57. The National Transport Commission (NTC) will ensure that luxury and semi-luxury bus operators will follow suit accordingly and reduce their bus fares as well from February 1.

The minister said Sri Lanka’s train fares were among the lowest in the region and it was difficult to reduce train fares further because it would seriously affect the financial situation of the railways.

A discussion was scheduled last afternoon with owners of school buses and vans and three-wheeler owners with the intention of reducing their fares as well.
“However, a permanent monitoring system will have to be worked out to monitor school and trishaw transport,” the minister said and added that efforts would be made to put this mechanism in place within the 100-day programme.

“It is not a difficult task to monitor, manage and regularize the transport services because all internal transport – railway, private and SLTB bus transport have brought under one roof,” he said.

Responding to a journalist who said the reduction of bus fares was not proportionate to the sharp drop in fuel prices, the minister said the NTC had to consider other costs of bus operators such as the cost of spare parts, loan interests and staff costs, etc.

He admitted to the need of improving bus and the railway services because these services have dropped sharply in recent times.

The SLTB will take steps to improve its night bus services and school bus service with the assistance of the funds provided by the Treasury.
The minister said the bus fares would be revised based on the fluctuations in the global fuel prices.

Internal Transport Ministry Secretary Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said transport fares cannot be revised each and every time fuel prices fluctuates in the global market other that through the accepted mechanism in place to work out bus fare revisions.(Sandun Jayasekara)