President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that Sri Lanka’s entire transport system must undergo a rapid transformation to create a more efficient, safe and technologically advanced transport system, thereby providing the public with a dignified and reliable service.

The President made these remarks during a meeting held this morning (12) at the Presidential Secretariat with officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

During the meeting, the President was briefed on a strategic plan prepared by the Ministry under five key pillars: economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, digital transformation, social equity and accessibility, and safety and security, aimed at revitalising the transport sector.

As a solution to the severe traffic congestion in Colombo, it was noted that the government plans to introduce the Lanka Metro Transit bus service, PMD said in the statement. 

The required infrastructure is currently being developed, and the buses are expected to be brought to the country by August this year under this project.

The project is planned to be implemented as a pilot initiative along six main roads surrounding Colombo, with the programme initially starting from the Western Province and later extending to the Galle and Kandy districts. Over the next three years, the service is expected to extend to eight major cities.

The pilot project aims to reduce the number of private vehicles entering Colombo daily and encourage the public to shift towards public transport. 

The President stressed that identifying dedicated bus priority lanes and maintaining their efficiency will be essential for the project’s success.

President Dissanayake also highlighted the need to replace the fragmented existing bus services with a system of transport companies operating under a cluster model to provide the public with quality services. 

The President emphasised that “What individuals seek is the availability of quality transportation services; the manner in which these services are delivered is of minimal interest to them,” the statement said.

Noting that Sri Lanka’s cities developed over time rather than through systematic planning, the President said transport management within the existing urban framework must be handled carefully, and observed that implementing the bus cluster system represents the most effective solution to this challenge.

Under this system, a company would be established to deploy buses and the President indicated that, should any issues regarding profitability arise, the government would have the capacity to provide support to the company. 

The President further stressed the importance of formal agreements between bus owners, companies and the government to ensure uninterrupted services, stating that this approach would be more practical than incurring high costs in purchasing new buses.

The President also underscored the importance of developing Multi-modal Transport Hubs (MTH) around the railway network to integrate various modes of transport. 

Discussions were held on modernising the Kelani Valley Railway line and introducing an electronic system for the expressway network.

Special emphasis was also placed on the welfare of employees in the transport sector. The President noted that service conditions should be structured to ensure that employees receive due respect and that their future security is safeguarded.

In particular, he highlighted the importance of providing formal appointment letters and ensuring systematic welfare services, especially for workers in the private sector, the statement noted.

Attention was drawn to the existing situation regarding the on-site fine system and the demerit point mechanism. Although driving licenses have been issued with embedded chips for the past decade, no technological software system had been developed to implement a proper demerit point mechanism, rendering the system largely ineffective.  

It was noted that the introduction of Gov.pay now provides the capability to rectify this system and a fully operational mechanism could be established within six to seven months.

A regulatory framework has been developed for three-wheeled vehicles, taxis and school vans, which is expected to be presented after consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

Attention was also drawn to issues arising with the ‘Sisu Sariya’ bus service. It was noted that the government allocated LKR 2,200 million for the programme in 2025, of which LKR 500 million remained unutilised. Discussions focused on ways to enhance the efficiency of the ‘Sisu Sariya’ programme and to expand it in a manner that delivers direct benefits to students.

The establishment of a National Centre for Transport Research and Development, bringing together all transport sector institutions under a single platform, was also discussed.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Senior Professor Kapila Perera, senior officials of the Ministry and heads and senior officers from institutions under the Ministry, including the Sri Lanka Railways Department, the Department of Motor Traffic, the National Transport Commission and the Sri Lanka Transport Board.

--PMD--