Cabinet approves 6.56% hike in bus fares

The Cabinet has approved an increase in bus fares by 6.56% with effect from tomorrow (16). 

However, there will be no change in the current minimum fare, Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said.  

He revealed this while speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. 

The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena, commenced at 10am today with the participation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and all ministers. 

Several topics including the fuel price increase were discussed extensively during the Cabinet meeting. 

Sri Lanka increased fuel prices on May 10 with Auto Diesel and Super Diesel reaching Rs 109 and Rs 119 per litre respectively.

The cabinet paper regarding bus fare revisions was presented to the Cabinet today (15).

The country’s bus trade unions have requested the government that the bus fares be increased and, accordingly, an expert committee gathered yesterday (14) to discuss the matter.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Ashok Abeysinghe had said that recommendations were made regarding the bus fare revisions.

The committee had decided to formulate a cabinet paper and present it to the Cabinet today.

According to the Deputy Minister, a bus fare revision will be implemented after gaining the approval for the said cabinet paper.

The Chairman of Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association, Gemunu Wijeratne, had said that they will decide the course of action based on the decision made by the government on the bus fares. They had called for a fare increase of 10%.

The Inter-Provincial Private Bus Association had requested the government to increase bus fares by 20%.