Transport sector grows by 12% in 2010
by Uditha KUMARASINGHE
The transport sector has recorded a 12 percent growth during the
first six months of 2010 against the five percent growth recorded in the
same period of 2009.
According to Finance Ministry sources, the registration of motor
vehicles has increased by 71 percent to 185,595 as a result of
Government initiatives to slash import taxes on motor vehicles by about
50 percent.
The registration of buses has increased by 225 percent to 1,101 buses
during the January-July period in 2010. The registration of
three-wheelers, vehicles transporting goods and motorcycles has
increased by 135 percent, 105 percent and 58 percent respectively during
the first seven months of 2010, the sources said.
The sources said the Government continued its efforts in upgrading
the transport service by adding 280 reconditioned buses to the existing
fleet of the Sri Lanka Transport Board.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Railways also initiated several projects
this year to rehabilitate and reconstruct railway lines. The
rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara railway line is in progress with
Indian assistance while the reconstruction of the Northern railway
infrastructure from Medawachchiya to Talaimannar and Omanthai to Palali
has been initiated with assistance from India and China. |