6 August 2022 01:17 am
Just to keep the pretence one or two CTB buses are said to make their rare appearance now and then along the way. But for all practical purposes the route is dead.
This irresponsible disregard has adversely affected hundreds of men, women and more so, children travelling to schools from Mattakkuliya, Modera and Mutwal to Colleges and Convents in Kotahena, Colombo Centre, Maradana, Town Hall and beyond. It is so with the students of the two Universities along the way. Office workers are impacted adversely. Above all the move has heaped sufferings upon the poor people travelling to various clinics of the General Hospital. The general public seeking to visit the Town Hall too are inconvenienced.
It should be noted that the earlier bus services leaving Colombo North routes involving 116 to Piliyandala (along Aluthmawatha Road), 167 starting from Madampitiya to Dehiwala (along Bloemendhal Road) and route 173 going to Narahenpita (along Fort ) have all been irresponsibly discarded. Now, imagine the plight of the people of Madampitiya and Bloemendhal Road having to walk passing Aluthmawatha to reach the sea beach 145 route to Fort, which is quite a long distance. Further, the large crowds that arrive in the out-station buses reaching the Armour Street bus halt have lost their only recourse which is to take the 155 route bus to the above stated places and beyond to the Galle Road areas.
As a researcher engaged with the late Dr. John Diandas’ volume the “TRANSPORT SECTOR STUDY’ (published in 1980’s ), I was inclined to seek the causes for this disaster. Thus I contacted the officers of the Western Province Transport Authority by phone. I was told by the very courteous and helpful officers, that all the private bus owners have now withdrawn their services owing to the lack of their expected earnings. My own understanding of the problem could well be the over stretched length of the 155 route that extends to Ratmalana via Bambalapitiya.
One remedy that could be offered is to re-establish the private 155 bus service with a reduced length of the route, to terminate at Wellawatte by the side of the Canal . This could give a better turn-around time to generate more income to the private bus owners.
Immediately, the Mattakkuliya CTB bus depot manager should be instructed to provide adequate CTB buses even by withdrawing all such CTB buses used from the 145 route which has (obviously) an oversupply of buses often seen following one another within minutes.
A quick and positive response from the authorities concerned would alleviate the physical and mental stress borne by the masses of people, already suffering from the sky-rocketing and unbearable charges demanded by the three wheel drivers quite arbitrarily.
Over to;
The Hon. Minister of Transport,
Chairman, Western Province Transport Authority,
Chairman, Consumer Protection Authority,
Mayor of Colombo