New Year return travel services start today

Colombo, April 15 (Daily Mirror) - Special transport services to facilitate the return of people who travelled to their hometowns for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year will commence from today (15).

Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Chairman Sanjeewa Kanagarathne said the special bus services will begin this afternoon, aiming to manage the expected surge in passengers returning to Colombo and other urban areas.

He also said that the SLTB recorded a significant income of over Rs. 600 million from April 9 to yesterday, marking a notable increase in holiday travel demand.

Meanwhile, the Railways Department said that several additional train services have been deployed to accommodate the returning public.

However, private bus operations are expected to remain limited today, with only around 30 percent of services in operation due to the festive season, Lanka Private Bus Owners Association Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said.

In addition, the Road Development Authority reported earnings of Rs. 196,119,425 from expressway operations over the past four days, reflecting the high volume of holiday travel across the country.