Private and CTB buses to operate under joint timetable

by Naalir Jamaldeen

Discussions are being held at provincial level to operate the private and CTB buses under a joint time schedule. A special meeting was held at Private Transport Ministry under the patronage of Minister C.B. Ratnayake to introduce the joint timetable throughout the country, the Ministry sources said.

Separate meetings will be held by Provincial Transport Commissions with the CTB. The first discussion will be held between the Western Province Transport Commission and the CTB on October 14. Minister Ratnayake has instructed that all Provincial Transport Commissions should have completed discussions before the end of November, the Ministry sources said.

CTB should inquire in writing at the relevant Provincial Transport Council and National Transport Commission about timetable when new buses are added to the service. Reply should be sent by the relevant Authority within two or three days, Minister Ratnayake said.

Roads across the country are being developed. Suitable buses should be deployed for service to provide satisfactory and productive service to passengers. CTB extends a yeoman service to passengers. Nearly 70,000 persons have obtained jobs in private buses. They do the service without imposing any burden on Government. Protecting the CTB and Private sector bus service is our bounden duty. So the joint timetable should be implemented, the Minister said.

Joint timetable should be implemented to increase the income of CTB.

In future the buses which are bought by the CTB will be deployed for service under the joint timetable. Steps have been taken to import 2,200 buses within the coming six months.

There are 1,200 buses which are not suitable for transport will be removed from service, Ministry Secretary Dhammika Perera said.