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| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
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Private bus fares go up from Sept. 1 by Anton Nonis The government has given permission for private buses to increase fares from September 1, the Lanka Private Bus Operators Association (LPBOA) President, Gemunu Wijeratne said. Accordingly, the first section has been increased from Rs. 3 to Rs. 3.50, section two from Rs. 4.50 to Rs. 5, section three remains the same at Rs. 6, section four has increased from Rs. 7.50 to Rs. 8 and so on. The new price structure was arrived at when the Cabinet sub committee met LPBOA representatives at Temple Trees on Friday afternoon. The Cabinet subcommittee comprised Dinesh Gunawardene, Anura Dissanayake, A. H. M Fowzie and Transport Deputy Minister, Lasantha Alagiyawanna. The LPBOA, for some time, has been agitating to change the section one fare from Rs. 3 to Rs. 4. But, settling at Rs.3.50 resulted during the meeting with the Cabinet subcommittee. Wijeratne however said increasing the first section from Rs. 3 to Rs. 3.50 was only a temporary measure adopted by them. It will be effective only for two months. Thereafter, from November 1, the first section will be increased to Rs. 4 while the fares for the other sections would remain at the amended nine per cent rate of increase as allowed by the National Transport Commission (NTC). "We have given a hearing to the government's plea to relieve the passengers from a bigger burden," Wijeratne said. Asked if the NTC would abide by LPBOA's decision to increase first section to Rs. 4 in November, NTC Chairman Dr. Amal Kumarage said "Rs. 4 will be allowed. But the date will have to be decided by the government." Wijeratne also cautioned that the LPBOA would be compelled to increase fares outside these agreements, if the price of diesel increases at any time. |
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