Govt. allows LTTE to run buses
By Chamitha Kuruppu
In what could be claimed a conciliatory move not wishing to upset the progress so for achieved in pursuing peace the government yesterday gave the green light to the LTTE to operate a bus service on the A9 road.

At a media briefing held yesterday at the ministry, Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation Minister Tilak Marapana said the government along with the LTTE would run buses on the Colombo-Jaffna road.

Asked whether approval will be given to the LTTE to start services between Omanthai and Muhamalai, the Minister said the government would like the LTTE to operate buses between Colombo and Jaffna rather than running a shuttle service between Omanthai and Muhamalai.

It would be inconvenient for travellers to break the journey at the crossover point to take another bus, We expect the LTTE to service the entire route between Jaffna and Colombo," the minister said.

He added the LTTE would be issued with route permits to ply bus services in the near future.

Minister Marapana said the ministry had decided to at least operate 30 buses on the A9 in addition to the fleet the LTTE too will operate.

Mr. Marapana pointed out that since the LTTE does not have buses right now it had requested the government to provide them with a fleet. " We will give a few buses to the LTTE," he added. LTTE could either buy buses or obtain them on hire purchase basis from the CTB the minister explained.

However, private bus owners who have applied to start services on the A9 have yet to satisfy several conditions to qualify for the route permits according to the Minister. He said the ministry would study the number of buses each applicant has, the condition of the buses and their credentials before issuing route permits to them.

A controversy arose between the Tigers and the bus operators on the opening day of the A9 highway. The Sri Lanka Transport Board bus which started operations on the opening day-Monday-on the Jaffna-Kandy A9 highway had been halted by the LTTE in the wake of a disagreement between the Tamil Eelam Transport Organisation (TETO) and the Private Bus Owners Association.

According to the Tigers, they want the buses to stop at Omanthai from where the TETO operated buses would be taking passengers between Omanthai and Muhamalai, in the Jaffna peninsula. At Muhamalai the passengers would then have to board a connecting bus bound for Jaffna city.