The bus fare payment service using bank-issued credit and debit cards was officially launched this morning (24) at the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Center, under the patronage of the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake.

A health inspection was also carried out by the National Transport Medical Institute to determine whether any bus drivers had used narcotic substances.

Accordingly, the bank-card payment system was introduced today for expressway bus services operating on the Makumbura–Matara, Makumbura–Galle, Makumbura–Badulla, and Colombo–Ampara routes.

Addressing the event, Minister Rathnayake stated that the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority has already initiated the card-payment system for buses operating between Borella and Kadawatha, while the Uva Province Road Passenger Transport Authority has implemented the system on the Badulla–Bandarawela, Dambulla–Mahiyanganaya, Monaragala–Bibila, and Monaragala–Wellawaya routes.

In addition, the system is scheduled to be introduced tomorrow (25) for buses running between Colombo–Vavuniya, Kadawatha–Maharagama, Makumbura–Tangalle, and Makumbura–Agunukolapelessa.

Meanwhile, the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority, participating in a program held today in Koswatta, Thalangama, to launch the bank-card bus fare payment initiative, announced that the system is expected to be implemented across all expressway buses operating in the Western Province by December.

Chairman of the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority, Gamini Jasinghe, added that the card-payment service will be extended to all buses operating in the Western Province by the end of 2026.

Speaking further, Chairman Jasinghe said:

“We hope to introduce this system for all expressway buses during the remaining days of this month and throughout December. Thereafter, in January, it will be extended to luxury buses operating in the Western Province, as well as a selected number of regular buses. We aim to launch and complete the card-payment bus fare service for all buses operating in the Western Province by the end of next year.”