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Respite in sight for long-distance travellers
Long-distance bus travel has been an ordeal for passengers needing clean food and toilets en route but this is set to change.
The National Transportation Commission (NTC) is to embark on a programme to put in place better food and sanitary facilities.
Convening a meeting at the National Transportation Commission Auditorium with owners of wayside food establishments catering to long distance bus passengers, NTC Chairman Renuka Perera issued directions to improve hygiene and quality of food by 50 per cent within three months.
It was mandatory that 100 per cent standard levels are met within six months, he emphasised.
He said NTC itself would improve washrooms facilities in these eateries as this was a great inconvenience faced by the long-distance passenger. A budget proposal would be put to the Transport Minister to obtain the necessary funding.
“It is the owner’s duty to provide clean, quality food for the traveller while the responsibility to ensure that bus passengers are given proper facilities for a comfortable travel lies with us,” the NTC Chairman said.
“I sent my officials to food outlets in all areas, covering the Kandy Road, Negombo Road, Ratnapura Road, Galle Road, Kataragama, Hambantota, Habarana, Jaffna and Kantale on inspections, and received unsatisfactory reports about these places. Even the Health Ministry reports have indicated that most of these outlets are C-grade,” he said.
Another round of inspections will be conducted in a few months to check if improvements have been made. Mr Perera vowed to take action against those reluctant to comply by instructing bus drivers to avoid stopping at such places.
The grading of food handling establishments are done by the area PHIs based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluates 10 aspects such as the location and environment, area of food preparation, serving display, storage, water supply, waste management, cleanliness of food, health status and training of food handlers, display of health instructions. Based on the points scored for the above mentioned aspects, A, B, C and D grades are given.
Sugath Devarajah, owner of a food outlet in Maradankadawala Periyakulama along the A9 highway, said revamping the existing washrooms was the biggest problem as this required a considerable amount of money.
“On average, we get about 65-70 buses a day. At the moment what I have are basic washrooms but when disabled people and elderly people come, especially females, they find it difficult to use these washrooms as we do not have commode seats installed,” he said.
He said assistance in the form of loans would enable wayside restaurants to provide quality service for travellers.
The Chairman of the Private Bus Owners’ Association Gemunu Wijeyratne, said upgrading washroom facilities was a timely need.
“If the Government can allocate suitable land for this purpose we are prepared to set up public washrooms along travel routes,” he said.
He added that previous attempts to upgrade privately owned eateries had turned futile and the setting-up of quality eateries by the Government would be more useful as it would compel owners of small food outlets to keep higher standards of care.