• Therefore, we have decided to stop operating buses to minimise losses

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

If prices of diesel keep increasing again, the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) yesterday hinted that they will be forced to stop operating buses.   

LPBOA Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said stopping the services was a collective decision.  
“We cannot run buses if the diesel prices are increased again.” We cannot increase the bus fares every time the fuel price goes up. If diesel prices are increased once again, it will affect the prices of all spare parts and accessories, such as tyres, tubes, oil, and grease varieties. With all that, we will not be able to have any profit, “he said.  

Therefore, we decided to stop operating buses to minimise losses, “he said.   I have proposed many solutions to reduce traffic congestion and save fuel. They also proposed the government to introduce a pre-paid travel card instead of paying money as bus fare. Still, nothing has been done as yet. “ Wijeratne lamented.  
However, he said that the number of passenger buses, around 50% are off the road due to lack of fuel, and in some cases, some buses stop halfway and are unable to transport passengers to their destination.  
Taking all these into account, the private bus industry is facing an uphill task to continue serving the public.