Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma told parliament yesterday that the luxury or air conditioned bus services  had collapsed today due to certain restrictions imposed on it.

As a result, the Minister said the government decided to revoke the relevant regulation to relax these restrictions.

“Earlier, only 40-seater buses were allowed to  operate  in the luxury service. We are now going to relax this restriction in the greater interest of these bus operators. Now, buses with less than 40 seats can also  operate,” he said.

The government also lifted the restrictions imposed on these buses plying only on the A and B grade roads.

Mr. Alahapperuma pointed out that there were 2000 luxury buses in  service when these restrictions were introduced in the past, and this number had declined to 700 today.

“Today, most buses are  as old as 18 years. Their engines have been repaired and re-used,” he said. He said that the government’s policy was to protect  the private bus operators.

“They are not millionaires.  Some of them have used their hard  earned money in the Middle East or Korea to purchase the  buses. Some have used their gratuity deposits for the purpose.” he said.