Subsidy for school vans

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Private Transport Services Ministry yesterday warned owners of over 18,000 countrywide schoolchildren transport services to refrain from increasing the charges at a time when the Government has decided on a fuel subsidy of Rs. 10 per kilometre.

As per the subsidy, announced by the Government, each school vehicle is entitled to a subsidy of Rs. 10 for a running kilometre.

Private Transport Service Minister, C. B. Ratnayake told the Sunday Observer that this subsidy is for vehicles that are registered with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and that he has directed the National Transport Commission (NTC) already to expedite the program.

The Minister also said that arrangements have been finalised to grant this subsidy and no school van service owners should panic in this regard.

Meanwhile, NCPA Chairperson Anoma Dissanayake said that out of 8000 school vans that are operated in the Western province, only 6000 have been duly registered with the Authority and another 2000 van owners have avoided registration.

According to NCPA statistics over 20,000 school vans are operated all over the country. She urged school vans which transport schoolchildren should be registered with the Authority forthwith.