Only 20% of private buses will be in operation today: Gemunu

At least twenty percent (5,000 buses) of the total fleet of private buses will be in operation in the country owing to the unavailability of diesel, Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA) chairman Gemunu Wijerathne said.

He told the Daily Mirror that at this difficult times, 50% of the total bus fleet (18,000) was in operation.

He further said that the buses have to be kept in long queues for days in order to pump diesel. Although, the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots supply fuel for private buses, there are still shortcomings, Wijeratne said.

"We cannot bear the price increases due to the recent tax revision." The prices of tyres, tubes, lubricants, spare parts, and other accessories have gone up drastically. The government should also cut back on unnecessary expenses, such as paying rent for government institutions in private buildings. inflation is increasing day by day. "Printing money is the solution to control inflation up to some extent," he said.

However, we have decided to operate several buses to facilitate the schoolchildren as the second term starts today. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)