Diesel price down won’t be sufficient for fare revision: NTC Chairman

Even though the Auto Diesel was reduced by Rs. 15, the National Transport Commission (NTC) said that this price reduction is not sufficient to consider bus fare revision.

NTC Director General Nilan Miranda told the Daily Mirror that the price of a litre of diesel should be reduced by 4% or more to consider a bus fare revision.

However, the calculation for a bus fare revision on par with the current diesel price is underway.

The bus fares could not be reduced as the percentage of diesel, which was Rs.430, was reduced only by Rs.15, which was less than 4%, Miranda said.

Meanwhile, Inter-Provincial Private Bus Association (IPPBA) President Sarath Vijitha Kumara said the current diesel price reduction will not help with a bus fare review.

Despite the decrease in the price of diesel, the prices of lubricants, tyres, tubes, batteries, vehicle service charges, and spare parts have not decreased. If the current bus fares are reduced further, we would not be able to continue with the service, he said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)