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| Sunday, 22 August 2004 |
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Private bus operators poised to strike if... by Anton Nonis Lanka Private Bus Operators' Association (LPBOA) which had been nudging for a fare hike during the past few weeks, has conveyed to the government its decision to increase fares with diesel going up in price. LPBOA said that fares should be increased for section one, from Rs. three to Rs. four, to which the government had totally disagreed. National Transport Commission (NTC) chairman, Dr. Amal Kumarage, said he had referred LPBOA's decision to Transport Minister, Felix Perera, for approval. Minister Perera told the Sunday Observer that he had forwarded LPBOA's decision to the Cabinet, which vehemently turned it down. The Cabinet wants the rate or fare for the first section to remain as it is and change fares from there onwards. The LPBOA has threatened strike action if their demand was not granted. The LPBOA, presided by its president, Gemunu Wijeratne, held a meeting with the Deputy Transport Minister, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, last Friday. The private bus operators had given a deadline until Thursday that they be permitted to increase fares from section one onwards.Wijeratne said that if their attempt failed, they would stage an islandwide strike from August 30. "A fleet of over 18,000 buses will ground to a halt, paralysing the road transportation considerably, including buses in the North and East," Wijeratne said. The Cabinet revealed that a commuter had to pay Rs. four to travel even one halt, if the fare from section one was increased. It would seriously affect the poor sections of the community. Minister Perera said that he wanted to divide section one to two sub-divisions, each upto a distance of one kilometre. A commuter would pay Rs.two if the journey was within the first sub-division and Rs.four for both sub-divisions. This suggestion had been already presented to the LPBOA. Section two has been increased from Rs. 4.50 to five, section three remains at Rs. six, section four from Rs. 7.50 to Rs. eight and so on. |
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