The Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA), Gemunu Wijeratne, has raised concerns over the introduction of new low-floor luxury buses by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) in collaboration with the Metro company.
Wijeratne said he supports the modernization of public transport but questioned the manner in which the project has been implemented, particularly the use of public funds.
“These buses have been bought using taxpayers’ money. As a trade union, we have a responsibility to question how those funds are being managed,” he said.
He alleged that proper procurement procedures had not been followed, claiming the project may have bypassed established laws and tender processes. He also said requests made under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding the Metro company had not yet received a full response.
Wijeratne further questioned whether the buses had obtained the necessary route permits required to operate on Western Province roads.
Raising technical concerns, he said each bus is estimated to cost around Rs. 42 million and noted that while they are described as luxury buses, they appear to allow standing passengers.
“Luxury buses are usually designed for seated passengers. If standing passengers are allowed, has the law been amended?” he asked.
He also raised concerns about the suitability of such buses for local road conditions and questioned the use of manual accessibility ramps, stating that modern systems typically use automated features.
Wijeratne referred to previous transport initiatives that had failed despite significant public investment and called on authorities to ensure transparency and accountability.
He urged authorities to release a profit and loss statement after one month of operations to demonstrate the viability of the project. (Newswire)