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Busmen oppose ‘political’ route permits
By Sachitra Mahendra
The Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA) is to conduct an islandwide strike during the Christmas and New Year season to protest against a number of route permits approved by Provincial Council members.

The strike was launched on Friday in the Gampaha and Kalmunai areas where route permits are reported to have been issued to persons not eligible to receive them.

"We can't help people suffering after having voted for those politicians. Until those route permits are cancelled, we will continue our strike," LPBOA president Gemunu Wijeratne told The Sunday Times.

"President Chandrika Kumaratunga had issued a circular in August this year to all provincial council members not to approve any route permits but this rule is violated within a very short time frame in her own former seat," he said.

He said it is only in the South that the rule is not violated. He added that if the road auctioning scheme takes place route permit violations would not occur.

"If the management functions properly, these things would not occur, and we won't have to strike and embarrass the public so often." Mr. Wijeratne said.

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