Micro Cars to launch luxury buses next month

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Ministry of Transport in collaboration with Micro Cars Ltd. will operate an eight low-floor air-conditioned luxury bus service from the city of Colombo to six identified destinations during peak hours in the morning and evening commencing from next month.

According to the Transport Ministry, the new buses which were imported from the Republic of China will operate from the main bus stand in Pettah to Moratuwa, Kesbewa, Negombo, Gampaha, Kaduwela and Homagama. Transport Ministry, Secretary, Dhammika Perera told the Sunday Observer that the objective of deploying these buses is to attract passengers, specially those who use individual vehicles to adopt to public transportation. He said the two low-floor air-conditioned buses, the Volvo and Tata which were deployed six months ago between Moratuwa-Pettah and Negombo-Pettah are successfully in operation at present.

“We have already received a high demand and an overwhelming response from passengers who travel in these buses and it has encouraged us to deploy more buses to other main routes,” He said these buses are equipped with the necessary requirement to passengers until they end their journey. The Ministry has also planned to extend the Negombo-Pettah and Moratuwa-Pettah services as an uninterrupted service from Moratuwa to Negombo via Pettah for the benefit of passengers, especially office workers travelling long journeys.

“Although the city bus concept is new to Sri Lanka, such buses have been operating in several Asian countries such as Singapore, India, Thailand, Malaysia and also several Western countries A senior Transport Ministry spokesman said the Government has already invited private sector to take part in operating luxury rail services in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Railways and as a result the Expo Rail and Rajadhani rail have agreed to deploy luxury carriages to much popular destinations in the country.