By Newswire Editorial
The government plans to introduce the Metro Bus service in Jaffna next year as part of its efforts to expand the public transport service beyond Colombo, Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena said.
The Deputy Minister said preliminary discussions have already been held with relevant state institutions, including the Road Development Authority, Provincial Transport Authority and Sri Lanka Police, regarding the implementation of the service and selection of suitable routes in Jaffna.
He said test runs have also been conducted to assess the suitability of the proposed routes, expressing confidence that the Metro Bus service could be successfully introduced in Jaffna in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister said Kandy has also been selected for the second phase of the Metro Bus service expansion.
A one-month trial operation has already been conducted in Kandy, during which suitable routes for the service were identified.
Deputy Minister Gunasena further said the Metro Bus service was initially launched in Colombo with 10 buses before being expanded to 122 buses, with operations continuing in the city.
He said the government has prepared an action plan extending until 2029 to guide the expansion of the Metro Bus service to other major cities across the country. (Newswire)