This time :
No free SLCTB buses for May Day
by Jaliya Wijeyekoon
Internal Transport Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara told the Sunday
Observer that SLCTB were provided to political parties to transport
supporters for the respective May Day rallies, upon payments being made
for the transport service. Maddumabandara said, SLCTB buses were
provided to political parties on the official requests made by the
provincial leaders, only after levying the due payments.
Several weeks ago, a schedule was formulated to release buses for May
Day-related transport without incurring any loss to the institution.
"We instructed all SLCTB provincial authorities to collect the
relevant fares before releasing buses to any trade union or a political
party.
This ruling equally applied to my own party, the United National
Party and our trade union, Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, too. It is also
first time in the institution's history that SLCTB were not released
unless paid for,' he said. |