By Don Asoka Wijewardena
In a bid to eliminate passenger congestion and extortion rackets in the North Western Province, a joint timetable to operate private and SLTB buses was implemented as a pilot project yesterday. The implementation of joint timetable had been a long-felt need and it had been implemented in the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts, Private Transport Minister C. B. Ratnayaka told "The Island".
Minister Ratnayaka said that Lanka Private Bus Operators’ Association had been criticizing the government for non-implementation of joint timetables, but then the government could not introduce it overnight. There were some practical difficulties involved in the process.
the Minister pointed out that there was no dispute over the fact that in the absence of joint timetables, several malpractices such as demanding extortion by time keepers and thugs,overloading, racing amongst buses had gone on unabated. But now all illegal activities of time keepers could be stamped out. The aim of the joint timetables was to provide quality transport service to the people, he said.
It would be implemented in other provinces as well in the near future. "I am of the view that bus commuters will appreciate the action taken by the government to implement joint timetables." Minister Ratnayaka stressed.
When contacted, LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne said that it was his trade union which had been asking the government to implement joint timetables. The implementation of the joint timetables was an admirable act of the government, he said.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46573
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