• Buses have to wait at the filling stations in queues with passengers onboard

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama

About 450 inter-provincial private bus services were stopped  yesterday due to unavailability of diesel, Inter-Provincial Private Bus  Association (IPPBA) President Sarath Vijitha Kumara said.

He told the Daily Mirror that, with the shortage of fuel, the inter-provincial bus service would stop by today. Therefore, the IPPBA decided to have a discussion with the Transport  Minister requesting that he grant priority for private buses to refuel.

“Many buses had to stop near fuel stations and on the road due to shortage of fuel. Although  we did not operate the buses, the leasing installments should have been paid at the right time,” he said.

Vijitha Kumara said the buses have to wait at the filling stations in  queues with passengers onboard. This is wasting the time of passengers.

Therefore, the government should take action, at least to grant priority for private buses to refill without hassle.