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.