Around 200 electric buses with modern facilities will be put into operation in the future, Minister of Transportation Bandula Gunawardena said today. 

Addressing the Parliament, the minister said electric buses with modern facilities would be initially deployed in the Western Province.

He further said that as the first phase of the programme, 50 electric buses with modern facilities will be deployed before the April New Year festival. 

The Minister of Transport also revealed that in the future, it will be mandatory for all buses imported by the private and public sectors to be equipped with modern technical features, such as CCTV cameras.

The necessary measures in this regard are being taken together with the Department of Motor Traffic, he added.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena also said that steps are being taken to provide e-ticketing systems for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and Sri Lanka Railways in the next 06 months. 

He made the remarks while responding to a question raised by MP Niroshan Perera in Parliament today. (NewsWire)

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The government has permitted investors to purchase 200 electric buses for operation in the Western Province, Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Bandula Gunawardena said.

The minister said for this project, Expression of Interest has been called and it will be implemented as a domestic and foreign joint venture. 

“The investors have been allowed to establish charging points. Investors would be allowed to operate the project to recover the invested capital. Thereafter, within a certain period, the ownership of the buses will be acquired by the government. Any country in the world including China and Korea could apply for this project. This is an investment opportunity,” he said, providing further details.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena also said that this program will be implemented in accordance with the world agreement where all public transportation worldwide will be free from fossil fuels by 2030.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), Minister Bandula Gunawardena made the remarks during a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre yesterday (Spe 04). 

The full statement of Minister Bandula Gunawardena;

“Investors have been allowed to import 200 electric buses for the Western Province. For this project, Expression of Interest has been called. It will be implemented as a domestic and foreign joint venture. Also, the investors have been allowed to establish charging points.

The investor would be allowed to operate the project to recover the invested capital. Thereafter, within a certain period, the ownership of the buses will be acquired by the government. Any country in the world including China and Korea could apply for this project. This is an investment opportunity.

There is a global consensus that all public transport in the world should reach zero emissions by 2030. Those involved in carbon trading are investing in this to protect the ecosystem. Electric buses bring great value to the environment. Various organizations in the world are paying a high price to protect this value.

Also, all government institutions should be digitized to prevent a decrease in income. A cabinet paper has been presented to replace the issuance of tickets with electronic cards. When you transact using advanced technology such as a card or QR system instead of cash, you could increase the income of each of these institutions by at least 50%.

Institutions such as the Inland Revenue Department, Customs, Excise Department, Railways, Sri Lanka Transport Board, etc. can be rebuilt through modern technology. Without it, the government cannot bear the burden. Many changes have been made to the railway system.

A shipment of rail tracks has been brought to the port after 4 years under the loan assistance of the Asian Development Bank. The railway line from Colombo to Panadura is in a state of dilapidation. Coastal railway tracks need to be replaced at least every 5 years. As a result of the dilapidated railway lines, the trains have to run at a reduced speed, causing delays for commuters who have to report for duty on time.

Therefore, the restoration work of the railway track from Colombo to Panadura will commence within the next few days. The northern railway line was temporarily closed in January to upgrade the tracks from Anuradhapura to Kankasanthurai. Further upgrades are scheduled on this northern track from Mahawa to Anuradhapura in January 2024. Once these upgrades are completed, trains on the northern track will be able to operate at a speed of 100km per hour from Colombo to Kankasanthurai.

A loan agreement is to be signed under Indian loan assistance for the modernization of the signalling system. A renovation process to increase the speed by removing the speed limits of the Kelanivalley railway line will commence from the first week of this month.

If a train carriage is imported from abroad, it costs Rs. 200 million. A Sri Lankan entrepreneur refurbishes a train carriage for Rs. 25 million. Accordingly, it is hoped that the existing railway carriages will be renovated through the upcoming budget.

Employees are impressed with our program. The trade unions are now supporting us. We also get their support in dealing with polluters. I appeal to the trade unions not to inconvenience passengers in order to achieve their demands. In the event there are issues that affect them, they could be discussed with the relevant officials where a solution could be found. (NewsWire)

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The Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the number of electric buses to be procured for the purpose of public transportation operated by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) covering the Western Province.

According to the government, Cabinet approval was granted in February 2023 for the procurement of 50 electric buses as a public-private partnership project in order to engage them in transportation by the SLTB in the Western province. 

However, it has been recognized that increasing the number of electric buses under this project to around 200 will be much appropriate to enable rendering general transport facilities to more routes through the said buses ensuring the expected benefits from the proposed project. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Transport and Highways to increase the number of buses procured under the proposed project to 200. (NewsWire)

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The Ministry of Transport is taking significant steps to streamline Sri Lanka’s public passenger transport service and improve overall efficiency, in line with President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vision for the future. 

The President’s Media Division (PMD) stated the Ministry is also taking measures to integrate electric buses into Sri Lanka’s public transport fleet by 2048 aligning with global sustainability goals.

The move is part of a comprehensive plan to modernize Sri Lanka’s public passenger transport service. The Ministry aims to initiate the necessary groundwork for the integration of electric buses in the coming months.

To enhance the convenience and reliability of the public transport system, GPS tracking and E-Ticketing facilities will be introduced. Passengers will benefit from accurate real-time information, while operators will have access to improved management systems.  

Also, a comprehensive national transport policy will be introduced to address long-standing challenges and issues within the public transport sector. This policy will pave the way for a more coordinated and efficient transportation network.

A high-level discussion, chaired by Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media Bandula Gunawardena and officials including State Minister for Transport Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, and Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Priyantha Mayadunne, was held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (07) to deliberate on these measures. 

During the discussion, attention was focused on resolving existing management problems and inefficiencies that passengers and bus owners face in the public transport sector. They emphasized the importance of utilizing modern technology to create a high-quality driven and efficient passenger transport system.

Minister of Transport, Bandula Gunawardena emphasized the significance of the proposed E-ticketing system in addressing issues related to the purchase of passenger tickets. He further stated that the Ministry of Finance has approved the implementation of this system, signifying a positive step towards improving the efficiency and convenience of ticketing in the public transport sector.

State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna highlighted that seven National Bus Associations have expressed their agreement to this initiative, and further consultations will be held at the provincial level.

The Minister of State also instructed to appoint 09 representatives in relation to the 9 provinces and inform the National Transport Commission to implement this program.

Additionally, the integration of GPS technology and E-ticketing services will be a vital criterion in the future in granting transports licenses for buses, ensuring a technologically advanced and efficient transport network.

The discussion also included plans for integrating the Kottawa Bus Stand and Makumbura Multimodal Passenger Transport Centre to enhance interconnectivity.

Chairman of the National Transport Commission Shashi Welgama and officials from the Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authorities actively participated in the discussion, reaffirming their commitment to improving the public transport sector. (NewsWire)

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A pilot project on adding 50 electric buses operated by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) will be launched covering the Western Province, Cabinet Co- Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday (28).

Addressing the media yesterday, the Minister of Transportation said that approval has been granted to implement a project to add 50 electric buses operated by the SLTB to Sri Lanka’s public transportation system.

“The bus project has been introduced to utilize solar energy which can reduce the cost of fossil fuels in the face of the international energy crisis. It is very difficult for a country like Sri Lanka to bear the cost of importing fossil fuels,” he pointed out. 

Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated that the introduction of electric vehicles is the best solution for this issue. 

The Minister of Transport also extended an invitation to local manufacturers and inventors of electric vehicles to join hands with the National Transport Board for the implementation of the electric bus project. (NewsWire)

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