Semi-luxury buses to be removed by year-end: NTC

31 May 2018 06:11 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 6 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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The National Transport Commission (NTC) said today it decided to remove some 450 semi-luxury buses from service by the end of the year.

NTC Chairman M.A.P. Hemachandra told Daily Mirror this decision was taken following a meeting held in January at the Transport Ministry after a number of passengers expressed concerns over the lack of service equal to the higher bus fares.

“The semi-luxury buses now in operation will be given till December 31 to convert them into luxury buses or to offer normal services,” he said.

Meanwhile, Acting Transport Minister Ashoka Abeysinghe said they planned to import low-floor buses to upgrade the public transport service.

“Ordinary Leyland buses are in operation since the Sri Lanka Transport Board (formerly CTB) was nationalised in 1958. Therefore, the ministry has decided to import new low-floor buses and remove the old ones from the fleet,” he said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)

Comments - 6

JuniorCitizen Thursday, 31 May 2018 10:10 PM

"the ministry has decided to import new low-floor buses and remove the old ones from the fleet" - long overdue but very much needed. But the drivers have to be taught how to drive these properly, our Formula 1 drivers will wreck them in weeks.

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Suresh Friday, 01 June 2018 01:59 PM

appreciate the new strategy, the Buses to be upgraded with luxury socially for the long distance routes.People are suffering by travelling these Leyland normal buses with narrow seats and sitting more than 5,6 hours and also this makes the people sick.The transport ministry should take immediate actions and they should use the CTB luxury buses even with higher prices for the long distances, people are willing to pay for CTB rather than Private sector poor quality buses.

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Danny Friday, 01 June 2018 02:42 PM

Another big fart! The list grows.

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traveller Friday, 01 June 2018 04:08 PM

Semi luxury is only the name with higher fare and no service, they just have a blue name board with a logo (S) charge with high fare, stop every- where and pickup every- where as they want making long time travel and worst than a local bus service, please don't wait till end of the year which is too long and implement immediately for the benefit of the travellers.

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suresh Monday, 04 June 2018 09:45 AM

yes bro, correct and the smelly dirty curtains . who needs the curtains ? this is just to cheet the people. if this continues people will get sick soon and life time of Sri Lankans will end up in 40"s already.

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Jothi Pala Saturday, 02 June 2018 12:21 PM

They type of buses in operation in Sri Lanka are very similiar to buses in all thrid world countries. The developed countries have the latest and its a pleasure to ride in them, not the uncomfortable bone shakers we get here. Its high time our buses are replaced with the latest ones for the fee paying bus travellers. The Governemnr owes it to them.

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