New transport policy will come to effect from tonight

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama   

The bus fare revision according to the new COVID-19 transport policy will come to effect from midnight today, State Minister of Transport, Dilum Amunugama said.   

After launching the new transport policy at the Transport Ministry yesterday he said there will be no change with the minimum bus fare which is at Rs. 12.00.   

The new policy was launched considering three stages followed by the recommendations of the health sector, he said.   

“As the first stage, if health sectors recommend transporting people seated and standing according to their guideline, there will be no change in the minimum bus fare.   

“Transporting people only to the seating capacity will fall under the second stage. Instructions were given to transport passengers according to the second stage. To transport passengers under the second stage the minimum fare has to be increased by 1:2 ratio from the current normal bus fare. After increasing the price the minimum bus fare will be Rs.14.00,” Minister Amunugama said.   

“Transporting passengers seat by seat while maintaining the social distance will fall under the third stage. During the third stage, the bus fare will be increased by 1:5 ratio from the current bus fare, because those buses can transport passengers fifty per cent of the total passenger capacity. These buses will operate in selected areas according to health recommendations.   

“However, the semi-luxury and luxury bus fare will be increased by 1:2  ratio from the current bus fare. Super luxury bus fare will be increased by 1:1  ratio from the current bus fare,” he said.   

“Every bus should have a sanitizer bottle at both entrances and each bus should be disinfected twice a day. There should be a QR code with a number pasted on the back of each passenger seat making it easy for passengers to obtain details or papers should be kept at the entrances for passengers to write their details. There should be a way to get only one paper for each passenger. In that way people can either scan the QR code, write details on a paper or SMS their details to the provided number,” State Minister Amunugama added.