Fifty percent of bus drivers, conductors addicted to ice: Gemunu

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association President Gemunu Wijeratne yesterday said that fifty per cent of bus drivers and conductors island wide, were 
addicted to drugs.  

Speaking to the Daily Mirror he said this situation  had caused a collapse of the bus industry.  

He said bus drivers and conductors used to be addicted to ganja, but now the trend has moved towards Crystal methamphetamine which is known as ‘ice.’  Drug addiction has increased due to the failure to implement the ‘Sahasara’ project.

“Conductors and drivers used to earn extra money without giving proper balance cash to passengers, with many conductors collecting a  considerable amount at the end of the day, which they used to get addicted to drugs such as ice,” he said.  

“Not having proper parking areas,  proper time tables and mental stress due to heavy traffic situations had caused the addiction to drugs,” he said.  

Letters in this regard were sent to the Transport Minister, the National Council on Road Safety and to the Police Head Quarters, Mr. Wijeratne added.    

Not having proper parking areas,  proper time tables and mental stress  due to heavy traffic situations had caused the addiction to drugs