Private bus service will be streamlined - Minister

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The private bus transport service in this country is one of the most closest services to the public. It is also the most criticised. People tolerate all inconveniences and the rudeness of bus crews since it is the most sought after transport service. For the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, a Minister for Private Transport Services was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa considering the impact of this sector to the general public.

C.B. Ratnayake hailing from the district of Nuwara Eliya was appointed as Minister of Private Transport Services at the last Cabinet reshuffle. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer at a time when a 7.6 percent bus fare hike is to be implemented and also in the wake of threats by the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association, Minister Ratnayake explained his future plans to streamline the private bus service which represents 70 percent of the bus transportation in the country.

The Minister emphasised the need to have a National Policy for the private transport sector if the country needs to have qualitative improvement in the private bus service.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: A decision has been taken to increase bus fares by 7.6 percent with effect from July 1. Why is a fare hike needed at this point?

A: Bus fares were not revised for the last two years. The price of diesel, fuel, tyres and spares and salaries have increased significantly. Therefore the increase is necessary. According to the National Transport Policy bus fares could be revised once a year if there are sufficient factors to do so on the request of the bus operators. This year, considering the expenses that have to be borne by the bus operators, after months of long discussions with the private bus operators’ associations we decided to increase fares by 7.6 percent without inconveniencing commuters and also bus owners and operators.

Q: But the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association seems to be unhappy with the increase and threatens to launch a strike if the Ministry failed to heed their demand ?

A: We took the decision to increase the bus fare by 7.6 percent after discussing with all the private bus operators associations. The association which has threatened to launch a strike was also among them. They have participated at two rounds of talks and my Ministry Secretary participated in those discussions. They withdrew from the discussions saying that they had to attend an emergency. The particular individual representing one association was of the opinion that the Transport Ministry and the National Transport Commission should take a decision on the bus fare hike after discussing only with them. They think that other bus owners associations do not have active membership and have no say in the private bus industry. If a legitimately elected government takes a threat of an individual seriously that would be a joke. We do not take his threat seriously.

Q: What action would you take if that Private Bus Owners Association launched an islandwide strike ?

A: I do not care about its threat and would consider it a minor accident in which one vehicle slightly touches the other. I request people not to panic due to a strike threat and attend their daily activities as usual. Send your children to school. Attend office and work as usual. The bus services will be operated as usual as all other bus owners associations have agreed to operate their buses without disruption along with the Sri Lanka Transport Board buses.

Q: There is a complaint from commuters that though bus fares are revised annually there is no qualitative improvement in the private bus services. What kind of program do you have in mind for a qualitative improvement in the private bus service?

A: That is true. But we have to recall how this bus service originated before we find out solutions. Bus services commenced during the colonial era to provide transport to the farmers, labourers and other villagers. Buses started plying on roads in which carts were plying. Those bus services were operated by people like ‘Nodi Kule’ and ‘Chandi Abey’.

They settled problematic situations by thuggery as they had a monopoly. Peoplising private bus services was during Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s time to provide a better service. The Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) was formed to provide public transport facilities. People like Anil Moonesinghe rendered yeoman service to the CTB to run it as a people friendly service. But with the changes of governments, the CTB became a burden with excessive numbers of employees and enormous expenses to maintain it as a public sector institute. Under SLFP governments it received due recognition and people were properly trained for maximum service. But, in the UNP reign after 1977 the CTB was put under separate management. With the introduction of the open economy private bus services also came into effect and those who had political and physical power ran the service like selling commodities in a public fair. They deploy buses to the road and they run those services as they wish.

Private bus services were put under the Provincial Councils with the introduction of the Provincial Council system in 1987. The National Transport Commission (NTC) was established to streamline the service. They could bring about positive changes in the private bus service. But still there are some elements like indisciplined drivers and conductors, bus owners and extortionists; the Commission could not tackle. I, as the Private Sector Transport Minister, have undertaken the responsibility of further streamlining the private sector bus service. We will take action within the next months to control those unruly elements by enforcing new laws and formulating new policies. We expect to ensure a dignified life for the private bus crew, to protect bus owners and also to provide a qualitative bus service for commuters.

Q: Private buses are running only with the purpose of profit making. Most of the short distance private bus operators are not willing to operate the night hours. How do you intend making it a more people friendly service?

A: Firstly, I have to say the private sector bus services cannot be run without making profits. When we visit private hospitals, they charge us for each and every service they provide unlike government hospitals. Private buses generate huge revenue to the Government Treasury. No one is talking about it. Earlier private buses had only a 30 percent share in the bus service. Now it has increased to 70 percent. They are obtaining licences, paying taxes, paying Provincial Transport Authorities and the NTC. There are more than 150,000 people depending on this service. We are trying our best to enforce laws with regard to issue of tickets, display of bus fares, and to transform these bus drivers and conductors to a disciplined set. We are enforcing laws to cancel their route permits and licences if they do not follow these rules.

Q: Private bus drivers and conductors work as temporary hands. There is no guarantee for their jobs. Do you have a program to address their grievances?

A: We are working out a program to ensure better working conditions for bus crews. It will include provision of EPF and ETF and a pension. We will empower them providing them with better working conditions and job guarantees.

Q: Some semi-luxury, luxury and super luxury buses run without adhering to the stipulated standards just to charge additional bus fare from the commuters. How is this to be tackled?

A: We have identified that problem too. Some private buses are violating normal rules after pasting huge stickers of popular politicians on their buses. We are closely following those trends within the private bus sector and taking action to prevent them breaking rules. We are trying to introduce a new colour system for the normal bus service, semi-luxury, luxury and super luxury bus services for easy identification.

We are taking action to remove stickers of politicians on private buses as we think it is not correct. Private bus operators violating normal road rules under cover of these stickers.

Q: What steps will you take to improve facilities for commuters at bus stands?

A: 25 District National Transport Commission offices and new bus stands will be opened which are equipped with all modern facilities and digital technology in collaboration with the Provincial Transport Ministries. These bus stands will also be provided with resting places for the commuters and also clean toilets. We have also introduced seat booking facilities after dialling number 4444.

Q: There is huge political interference in the process of issuing route permits for the profit-making bus routes. What action will you take to avoid such situations?

A: This is a subject under Provincial Councils. There are around 20,000 private buses operating in Sri Lanka and 40,000 bus drivers and conductors, around 20,000 bus owners and another 60,000 people depending on them. Altogether 125,000 people depend on this service. Sometimes they are misguided by politicians to enforce illegal ways to operate extorting money from private bus operators. We are trying to minimise such interferences.

Q: The private bus transport system is mainly handled by the Provincial Transport Ministries and Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authorities. How are you going to tackle problems that arise due to this situation?

A: Since this sector comes under Provincial Councils, this subject was handled differently at the Central Government level and Provincial level. They were running on two tracks.

What we are trying is to bring them together and run on one track. A forum, where all the Provincial Chief Ministers, Provincial Transport Ministers, Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority Chairmen, Transport Ministry Secretaries, National Transport Commission Chairman and the Director Board were to work towards a better private bus service in the country is to be formed.

Q: You emphasise that we should formulate a National Policy for the private bus transport sector. What are your plans for this?

A: Yes, we should have a national policy to streamline the private bus services in the country. I emphasise the need for this. I may be the Minister incharge of the private bus service today and this will be changed within a few years. We need to have a national policy which should go beyond a 25-year period. We are undergoing rapid development in the country in which cart roads are turning into expressways and highways. We need to transform the transport sector into a better one to go parallel with the development activities taking place under the Mahinda Chinthana program.

We are working out national policy for the private bus sector to be implemented by the year 2012. In the process of formulating the policy contributions from the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary will be taken. The general public will be educated through its publication in all three languages.