Following lengthy discussions with several private bus owners' associations, the transport ministry is planning to supply diesel for private buses from depots owned by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) in two or three days.

Transport State Minister Dilum Amunugama said discussions on this matter with the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA) and Inter-Provincial Private Bus Owners' Association (IPPBOA) took place today.

In two or three days, a plan will be drawn to provide required fuel for private buses. Daily, 400,000 liters of diesel is required to run the state owned SLTB buses while 531,000 liters of diesel for the country's fleet of 11,000 private busses.

Therefore, discussions are underway to provide diesel from the SLTB depot pumping sheds at the price determined by the Ceylon Petrolium Corporation (CPC). We will have a calculation of the number of buses calling at each SLTB depot. But the ministry would undertake the counting of the number of private buses which are eligible to obtain fuel from the nearest SLTB depot, "he said.

The CPC Chairman also agreed to provide the 531,000 liters of diesel to the SLTB depots, including the required fuel on daily basis to private buses, Minister Amunugama said. 

After allocating sufficient volume of fuel for the SLTB buses, diesel will be issued for private buses.

"The Ministry will take a considerable time to calculate the number of private buses operating within the vicinity of certain SLTB depots. Later, the respective private buses will be informed by the National Transport Commission (NTC) and the Provincial Transport Authority (PTA) of which SLTB depot they could visit to get the required fuel for their buses, "the Minister said.

He said the bus owners' associations were informed of this and they agreed with the decision. 

However, it will take at least two or three days to put into practice, the minister said.

Meanwhile, the State Minister added that the current fuel shortage has not affected the train service.(Chaturanga Samarawickrama)