Strike action by buses on the 176 route

Private buses on the Karagampitiya- Hettiyawatta (176) route stopped work today demanding that a bus terminal be set up at the Karagampitiya Junction.

Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) claimed that the police officers are not permitting these buses to park at the Karagampitiya junction.

“We agree that the parking of buses at the junction was causing inconvenience to the public because of the lack of space.  Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority should take action to set up a proper bus terminal at a suitable place,” LPBOA Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said.

He said the Transport Authority collects about Rs.5 million monthly from some 6,300 buses in the Western province.

“We wrote to Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to investigate why the Authority was not taking action to construct a bus terminal at the Karagampitiya Junction,” he said. (Sanath Desmond)