The National Transport Commission (NTC) has launched a new website for the convenience of passengers commuting long distances in private sector passenger transport buses commencing from Colombo.

Accordingly, the reservations for necessary bus seats can be made via the newly launched website (www.ntcbooking.lk) using any computer or mobile phone with internet access, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation stated.

The website was launched yesterday (26) by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, at the auditorium of the ministry.

The passengers are given the opportunity to commute in private sector buses to make travel plans with reliability and minimum cost and they will only have to pay an additional cost of approximately Rs. 30, for this service.

At present, the passengers are forced to pay an unreasonable amount of money for private companies and brokers in order to reserve bus seats.

In the first phase of this programme, the NTC allows passengers to make reservations for seats in buses commuting on 35 long-distance routes including Kataragama, Jaffna, Badulla, Ampara, Deniyaya, Passara, Lunugala, Akuressa, Thirukkovil, Batticaloa, Point Pedro, Madulsima, Anuradhapura, Dayagama, Trincomalee.

The purpose of this programme is to attract more masses to public transport services by improving its quality and safety.

The NTC stated that the second phase of this programme will allow the passengers to make payments for the reserved seats using a digital card.

The Secretary of the Ministry G.S. Withanage and the Chairman of NTC M.A.P. Hemachandra, officials of the ministry, Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom and several officers of People’s Bank had reportedly joined the launch of the website.