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Transport
Minister, Private bus owners, on different routes
The association says if the government turns down the proposals it would launch a strike on August 30. The Cabinet when it meets on Wednesday is expected to discuss the bus fare increase. "The Minister does not know how to work within the national transport policy and there is no need for cabinet approval", Private Bus Owners' Association Chairman Gemunu Wijeratna told The Sunday Times. He said the present minimum bus fare of Rs. 3 should be increased to Rs. 4 and that the National Transport Commission has the power to activate the NTP and it provides for the increase of bus fares every four years. However the Transport Minister Felix Perera told The Sunday Times that for the first kilometre a passenger should be charged Rs. 2 and thereafter Rs. 4 if the distance exceeds a kilometre. 'They got the minimum bus fare raised to Rs. 3 from Rs. 2 which is a fifty percent increase. Now they are trying to get the Rs. 3 increased to Rs. 4. This is a burden on the majority of poor people", the Minister said. "For this purpose we have to divide 3900 roads into sectors. This will rectify the present anomalies", he said. He said there was no need to strike over these matters. Meanwhile commenting on the Minister's suggestion PBOA Chairman Gemunu Wijeratna said it would be a time consuming task to divide the 3900 roads into sectors and it was unpractical. "It will not settle the present anomalies immediately. The Minister should solve the present problems immediately rather than taking long term routes", Mr. Wijeratna said. |
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