Transport Minister should go ahead with his plans

The Government has taken a praiseworthy step to develop the public transport sector, which has a big impact on the day-to-day life of the masses. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has allocated a colossal sum of money to develop the transport sector in the 2012 Budget. Simultaneously, Transport Minister Kumara Welgama has spared no pains to improve the standard of the state-owned transport sector. The Transport Minister has planned to add 2,000 buses to strengthen the services of the Sri Lanka Central Transport Board (SLCTB).

True to form, the private bus operators have gone into a frenzy over Minister Welgama's move and have even threatened to resort to strike action in the event new buses are added to the SLCTB fleet.

Bus and railway commuters are subjected to untold hardships when they patronise public transport, mainly during office rush hours. The harrowing experience that most bus commuters, especially those who opt for private passenger transport, undergo invariably make them exhausted and demoralised even before they begin their day's work.

Employees are dead beat when they arrive at their workplaces after a nightmarish bus journey. A considerable portion of their working hours is taken for them to settle down and start work. On the other hand, most of them opt to leave office early mainly to overcome transport difficulties. Hence, the productivity of most employees who depend on public transport is at a low ebb. The Government has allocated Rs. 37,000 million to construct the Northern railway track, renovate the coastal rail track, construct a new Matara-Beliatta railway track and purchase railway engines and power-sets. Moreover, another Rs. 3,170 million has been set apart to strengthen the SLCTB school bus services, state services and operate non-profitable bus routes. Apart from the buses purchased by the SLCTB under lease arrangements, Rs. 880 million has been allocated for new bus engines. A further Rs. 500 million has been allocated to improve transport facilities in rural areas with an additional fleet of 200 buses.

The Government has provided various concessions to private bus operators time and again. The Value Added Tax (VAT) on the import of buses has been lifted to promote the purchase of new buses to ensure high standards in general and tourist transportation. During his 2012 Budget speech on November 21, President Rajapaksa also proposed to lift the VAT and customs duty on the import of lorries, trucks and new lorry engines to transport goods. It has been proposed to reduce the import duty on tyres for buses and lorries by 50 percent.

The redevelopment and construction of the road network has also helped reduce operational costs incurred by private bus operators. The Budget also allocated Rs. 5,000 million to the Ports and Highways Ministry to link 100 villages to provide connectivity to over 20,000 families.

The Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils has been allocated Rs. 500 million to rehabilitate access roads in selected Local Authority areas. Rs. 12,300 million has been allocated to Provincial Councils to renovate and maintain roads while Rs. 30,000 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Economic Development to improve the rural and agricultural road network as well as the provincial and inter-district road network. Moreover, Rs. 123 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Ports and Highways to improve the national road network.

SLCTB passenger buses run in remote areas as a service to the nation. Over the years, the SLCTB has rendered yeoman service to the poor rural masses by running buses on all non-profit making routes in remote areas.

The SLCTB bus that plies through their village is a life-changing factor for most villagers who face enormous hardships in their day-to-day lives as it connects their village to the nearest town and helps the villagers to transport their produce to the town to fetch a better price.

The SLCTB also makes a bigger contribution to the poor and average middle class family in the urban areas too. Most of the private bus operators operate only during the day and end their journeys shortly after dusk. This makes the SLCTB the people's 'saviour' for those who leave their offices and factories late. A large number of commuters still depend on the 'last SLCTB bus'.

Umpteen requests to restore the night services of private bus operators have come a cropper as their only concern is to earn a few extra bucks and rake in extraordinary profits. Private bus operators fight shy to operate the night services as they expect the same profits they earn during peak hours. Generally, commuters who use private buses for their daily transport needs are seen kicking their heels in despair. Overloading and reckless driving have now become the order of the day for private bus operators who more often than not intimidate passengers hurling abusive language. Bus commuters do not enjoy any right whatsoever when they travel in private buses. In sharp contrast, SLCTB drivers and conductors are more friendly and courteous as they are more service-oriented rather than profit-making. Such a friendly and people-oriented passenger transport service died a natural death in 1977.

Following the open economy of the J.R. Jayewardene regime, private bus operators became a law unto themselves, thereby ending the state monopoly of the SLCTB. The UNP regime reintroduced private bus mudalalis after 1965-70 and in doing so, destroyed the SLCTB which had enjoyed a close rapport with the masses.

The UNP, during its 17 years of misery from 1977 to 1994, sounded the death knell for the SLCTB by reducing its budgetary allocations. This was no doubt a calculated move by the then UNP administration to weaken the SLCTB so that its supporters, who own a larger number of private buses could make huge profits at the expense of the poor bus commuters. The Government, even today is paying for the 'sins' of the UNP blunders.Private bus operators, under no circumstances should be allowed to hold the Transport Ministry to ransom. If the SLCTB is attempting to improve the standard and quality of its service, the private bus operators too should fall in line rather than threaten to resort to trade union action at the drop of a hat. At a time the Government is offering concessions to private bus operators, they should make a sincere effort to serve the public better.

Whatever said and done, Minister Welgama should go ahead with his ambitious program to strengthen the SLCTB fleet so that the poor people across the length and breadth of the country would not be held to ransom by the rapacious private sector. His praiseworthy efforts would eventually pave the way for a quality and reliable passenger transport service in the country.