A new low‑floor bus service prioritizing persons with disabilities and special needs was launched today under the Clean Sri Lanka National Programme, led by Minister of Transport Bimal Ratnayake.

Ten specially designed buses were introduced to the fleet, enabling wheelchair users, visually impaired passengers, and expectant mothers to board with ease. Each bus is equipped with 30 passenger seats, including designated seating for wheelchair users.

The pilot routes will operate from Makumbura to Colombo Fort and Makumbura to Kadawatha, covering major health service centres such as the National Hospital in Colombo and the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Ratnayake said the initiative not only prioritizes the disabled community but also ensures a comfortable and reliable transport service for all passengers. 

He added that 122 buses of this type are planned to be introduced before the end of the year, with services to be expanded to Kandy, Batticaloa, Matara, and Jaffna. (Newswire)

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Sri Lankan Minister Bimal Ratnayake, on behalf of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, handed over an official invitation to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to visit Sri Lanka. 

According to the JVP Sri Lanka Committee in Italy, Minister Ratnayake met with Mihăiţă Blaj, the Vatican’s Under‑Secretary for Relations with States, yesterday (02 Mar), where he extended the invitation. 

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Italy, Satya Rodrigo, also joined the meeting, which took place in the Vatican. (Newswire)

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Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake, says the government is prepared to allocate time during parliament sessions this week to debate the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) being prepared by the opposition against Prime Minister and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya. 

Addressing the Parliament today, Minister Ratnayake said that the government was willing to allocate the Parliament sessions scheduled for 22 and 23 January completely for the NCM. 

“News that an NCM is being prepared against the PM and the premiership is a very serious matter. We feel it is an issue if an NCM has been prepared, with signatures being obtained, but not being submitted. We would like to know if the opposition is going to submit the NCM or not,” he said. 

Responding to the minister, Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunatileke informed Parliament that it was a matter related to the opposition, which will be decided after holding the necessary discussions. 

Minister Bimal Ratnayake then urged the opposition to submit the NCM against PM Harini Amarausiya, pointing out that this affects the country’s stability. (Newswire)

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Minister Bimal Ratnayake defended the government’s approach to implementing education reforms, asserting that adequate discussions were held with key stakeholders, including trade unions.

Responding to criticism over a lack of public consultation, Ratnayake said that while the public and stakeholders were provided opportunities to share their views, the current level of disagreement had not previously been expressed. 

He expressed these views during a televised interview.

According to the Minister, the government has engaged with trade unions on four separate occasions regarding the reforms, citing Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister of Education.

He stressed that Sri Lanka has historically invested significantly in education, framing the government’s focus on human development as a national priority. 

However, Ratnayake acknowledged existing disparities in access and quality across the country. He stressed the need to increase educational opportunities, aligning reforms with a long-term vision for 2050. “Sri Lanka is far behind relative to other countries,” he said.

Ratnayake noted that although the current government entered midway, the reform process had begun in 2015. 

He highlighted the complexity of education reform, contrasting it with infrastructure projects. “When building a bridge, you can plan, simulate, and test. But with education and economic reforms, outcomes only become visible after 10 to 15 years,” he said.

He also noted the need for foundational infrastructure in schools, stating that digital infrastructure should be considered a basic necessity, on par with electricity and water, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring its availability. (Newswire)

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Minister of Transport Bimal Ratnayake says the Inspector General of Police has been instructed to take action against the driver of a container who was seen recklessly driving and harassing the driver of a bus on the expressway.

Video footage shows the container forcing the bus out of its lane and driving dangerously close, pushing the vehicle toward the railings.

Addressing the issue in Parliament, Minister Ratnayake pointed out that several accidents are a cause of the reckless behaviour of drivers, including drugs and alcohol consumption, racing, and sleeplessness. 

“Even recently, we saw a container edge a bus out of its way for blocking its path and putting a small part. We have informed the IGP to arrest the container driver,” he said. 

Minister Ratnayake further said that a special licence, identified as the Public Transport Licence, is being introduced to minimise these kinds of actions.

“All drivers engaged in public transportation, including school and taxi services, will be required to obtain this licence. It will be granted following a 2-day training period. It will be made mandatory to get a PT Licence in the future. Passenger transport licences can be obtained after the age of 25, but school transportation licences will be granted only after the age of 30,” he said.

Minister Ratnayake further revealed that the licence demerit system will also be introduced, where points will be deducted for every traffic violation, and eventually cancelled for those identified as committing continuous wrongdoing. 

He added that the said regulations will be legalized within the next two months. (Newswire)

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A discussion has been held on the implementation of the roadmap for the proposed traffic fine demerit system during a high-level meeting chaired by Minister of Transport Bimal Ratnayake today.

The meeting was attended by the Inspector General of Police, the Chairman of the Postal Department, the Consultant to the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Transport, Deputy Inspectors General, senior police officers, Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) officials and other relevant stakeholders.

According to the Transport Ministry, the meeting comes as the government moves forward with plans to introduce a demerit points mechanism aimed at promoting disciplined driving and improving road safety.

Officials discussed the legal, technical and operational steps required to roll out the system, including coordination between the Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Motor Traffic, postal services and digital platforms to ensure effective enforcement, data sharing and public notification.

The proposed demerit system is designed to identify repeat traffic offenders by assigning penalty points for violations. 

Drivers who accumulate the maximum number of demerit points are expected to face sanctions such as licence cancellation, with provisions for retraining, examinations and medical clearance before reissuing a licence.

Officials noted that the system has not yet been implemented and that preparatory work is ongoing, including the evaluation of bids submitted in response to a tender for the required technological infrastructure. Authorities have said the public will be informed once the system is ready to be rolled out.

The Transport Ministry further said consultations will follow as part of a phased implementation plan, with an emphasis on public awareness and institutional readiness ahead of the launch of the demerit points system. (Newswire)

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Senior National People’s Power (NPP) member Bimal Ratnayake has denied media reports claiming that NPP candidates have been barred from seeking preferential votes.

Ratnayake told NewsWire that the party had not imposed such a restriction, but noted that NPP candidates will not engage in internal competition for preferential votes.

“It’s not correct to say we have barred our candidates from seeking preferential votes. We have only said we will not fight among ourselves like other parties,” he said.

He added that the NPP is focused on conducting an exemplary election campaign, with qualified candidates fielded across the island.

“Our campaign will show that elections can be run with integrity, without the infighting seen in other political parties,” Ratnayake further stated. (NewsWire)

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