Bus travel won’t be easy going for commuters

Private bus operators are due to get the green light to increase bus fares with the present minimum fare of Rs.5 to be increased to Rs.6. The fuel price increase sparked discontent among private bus owners who say that bus fares should be increased simultaneously with the increase in fuel prices.

Private Bus Owners Association (PBOA) Secretary W.S.G. Wimalatunga said he was hopeful the government would approve their proposal for an immediate hike in bus fares. He said in view of the rapid increases in the domestic fuel prices, the PBOA was aiming to make changes to the bus fare revision time slot from once each year to twice a year.

He said bus owners were spending almost 50% of what they earned on fuel and the present agreement with the government to discus fare hikes changes in June was not practical. However, Transport Ministry Secretary Nihal Somaweera said the government was not prepared to deviate from the present agreement and permit private bus owners to increase their fares more often.

“Currently bus owners are allowed to revise their fares in June and that too only if there is a substantial increase in domestic fuel prices. We will stick to this agreement,” he said. Meanwhile, CPC Chairman Ashantha De Mel said the President’s budget proposal to remove the existing excise duty on petrol had not been implemented.

Mr. De Mel said the local fuel prices were increased in keeping with the increase in world market prices caused by the severe cold temperatures in winter and the rising demand for fuel from countries such as China and India. He said before the recent local price hikes the CPC was losing Rs.20 on a litre of diesel and Rs.23 on a litre of kerosene.