A Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus travelling along the Monaragala–Siyambalanduwa main road overturned into a ditch today after veering off the roadway, leaving 26 passengers injured.

Police said the injured were admitted to the hospital following the accident. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the bus had gone off the road and toppled into the ditch after the driver lost control.

Among those hospitalized are both men and women.  Police have launched further investigations into the incident. (Newswire/ Accident1st)

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The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Hatton depot is set to introduce a safari bus service to promote tourism in the area.

The bus has been refurbished from an older vehicle obtained from the Ratmalana depot and redesigned as a tourist safari bus.

Approximately Rs. 4 million has been spent on the project, and the bus is fitted with 42 seats and equipped with a sound system, air conditioning and a television. It has also been modified to allow open-roof and window access for sightseeing purposes.

The service is expected to operate covering tourist attractions, including the Sri Pada and areas within the Nuwara Eliya district. (Newswire)

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The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation has held key discussions on issues related to the conduct of Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus drivers, elephant-train collisions, and container congestion at the Colombo Port.

The Ministerial Consultative Committee met under the Chairmanship of Minister Bimal Rathnayake in Parliament recently (28 Feb), where these issues were discussed. 

Conduct of SLTB bus drivers;

Discussions were held at the Ministerial Consultative Committee regarding SLTB bus drivers who operate services while bypassing school children and citizens with a bus season ticket.

Minister Bimal Rathnayake stated that any citizen could report such incidents by calling 1958. He further emphasized his awareness of the said issue and assured that stringent measures would be taken against such misconduct. He also mentioned that SLTB drivers and conductors had been duly informed of the matter.

Elephant-train collisions : 

The minister expressed his concern regarding the lack of initiative from railway department officials in addressing the harm caused to elephants, despite the availability of technology. He pointed out with regret the incident where six elephants perished due to a train collision, calling it a deeply unfortunate occurrence. He expressed disappointment over the railway department officials in failing to utilize the GPS technology to mitigate such incidents and expressed his dissatisfaction over their inaction.

He also issued directives to the railway department officials to take all necessary measures to prevent such occurrences. 

In response, the officials stated that discussions were already underway and that immediate steps were being taken to address the issue. Additionally, an ad hoc Parliamentary Committee was established, comprising Members of Parliament, to formulate an efficient management system within the railway department.

Container congestion at the Colombo Port : 

Discussions also covered the issue of container congestion at the port, with the Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku briefing Members of Parliament on the steps taken to address the matter.

The Deputy Minister said to mitigate the delays caused by containers being held at the port, additional staff has been swiftly recruited. To alleviate congestion within the port, approximately two acres of land in the Bloemendhal area had been allocated to customs for vehicle parking. He further highlighted that the Port Community System, which is a digital technology initiative, had been launched as a long-term and sustainable solution.

Other matters;

The Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for the year 2023, along with the Annual Report of Jaya Container Terminals Limited for the year 2023, was reviewed and approved during the Ministerial Consultative Committee meeting.

A progress review was presented by the chairpersons of the three subcommittees appointed under the Ministerial Consultative Committee to seek legal and administrative solutions for issues related to transport, highways, ports, and civil aviation. (Newswire)

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