Thousand buses to be bought for SLTB

The government will purchase 1000 buses for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) within the next few months in order to strengthen the SLTB bus fleet and the route network.

The government also intends to begin a super luxury metro bus service within Colombo and in its suburbs.

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said although the SLTB has 7700 buses in its fleet, only 6000 buses are in an operational condition at present.

The Minister was addressing the gathering in the ceremony of distributing new engine kits for the SLTB buses at Udahamulla bus depot yesterday.

He said the SLTB needs at least 10000 buses to provide quality service to the public.

Accordingly, 500 new engine kits were provided to the Udahamulla bus depot to be fitted into 500 unused buses need in engine repairs.

He further said that politics prevailed in the country should responsible for the collapse of the SLTB. Politicians should be held responsibility for that.

The SLTB was destroyed due to the political influences under the all regimes came into the power previously.

All former governments filled the SLTB with their supporters unnecessarily. 

All SLTB workers have rights to engage in politics but the SLTB administration itself must be devoid of politics.

We all must get-together and work for the upliftment of the SLTB despite the party politics,” he added.