By Don Asoka Wijewardena
Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) President Gemunu Wijeratne and its Board of Directors had unanimously decided to withdraw semi-luxury bus service after LPBOA received numerous complaints from bus commuters that semi-luxury buses were flouting the law by loading as many passengers as possible. The LPBOA had already sent a letter to the Secretary of the Private Transport Ministry Victor Samaraweera with regard to their decisions, he told The Island in a brief interview yesterday.
Wijeratne said that though semi-luxury buses were supposed to provide better transport services, on most occasions people were forced to travel strap-hanging. LPBOA had been inundated with complaints about over-loading and discourteousness. Most semi-luxury buses were operating on long-distance routes.
He pointed out that the National Transport Commission (NTC) was solely responsible for the sorry service. Because it had haphazardly issued permission to operate those buses. LPBOA was of the view that the Secretary of the Private Transport Ministry could sort out the issue with the NTC.
When contacted Private Transport Ministry Secretary Victor Samaraweera said that he was not vested with power to stop the semi-luxury services. It was the NTC which had issued permits. Gemunu Wijeratne’s complaint would be taken into consideration shortly. " Just because he is asking the Private Transport Ministry to cancel the semi-luxury bus service, we cannot do it. We have to first find out the root cause for the situation," he stressed.
Samaraweera added that it was a hasty decision taken by the LPBOA. Cancellation of semi-luxury bus service would cripple the private transport service. Instead of resolving the issue it was unwise to take action to stop the service. He would discuss the issue with the NTC next week and strive to solve the matter soon.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=42341
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