Country returning to normalcy

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama

Fuel valued Rs.1.5 billion was wasted due to traffic congestion in Colombo and suburbs yesterday after the country returned to normalcy, the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said.

He told the Daily Mirror that this was the highest loss ever recorded after two years.

“No proper public transport methods were implemented to meet the demand. Most of the private and the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses were unable to be assigned for transport due to repairs,” he said. The buses were operated at a speed of 4 to 5 kilometres per hour in Colombo city.

“Two years prior it was reported as Rs.1 billion fuel loss and now it had increased by another 0.5 million due to ad hoc planning. About 60 per cent of public transport is operating in the country and most of the private vehicles have now come on to the roads,” he said. Asked how he calculated the loss, he said, “We can sense it by experience as bus operators. We know how fuel is wasted when our buses are stuck in traffic congestion.”