31 October 2023 10:56 pm
Due to the public transport sector, including the railways in the country, not being developed, the government loses Rs. 500 billion every year, Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA) chairman Gemunu Wijerathne said.
He told the Daily Mirror that this loss was revealed following a survey conducted by him while taking into consideration the three-wheeler, public, and government transport sectors.
Accordingly, the survey revealed that at least 40 three-wheelers travel in one direction, whereas a public transport bus travels in an hour on main transport routes, including several rural areas, Wijerathne said.
He said this shows the poor condition of the existing public transport system in the country, and the number of three-wheelers has increased due to the poor transport system.
There are one million three-wheelers and 13,500 buses operating in the country.
He said the survey did not consider motorcycles and other transport methods as key factors.
Therefore, the domestic transport system needs to be developed urgently, Wijerathne added. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)