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Passenger comfort, safety features a must in new long distance luxury buses
Long distance super luxury bus services to be deployed on roads in future will be required to have additional facilities including a toilet and a mini-refrigerator, National Transport Commission (NTC) Chairman Roshan Gunawardena told the Sunday Times.
The buses will be required to have a series of other facilities which will be set out in a new regulation coming into effect next week, he said.
The Chairman said the NTC took steps to regulate super luxury buses following complaints made by the public to the NTC and Private Transport Minister C B Rathnayake. However this will not apply to existing long distance super luxury bus services. “We have also taken this decision because foreign tourists enquire about the facilities available for them when they go on distant tours. These complaints includes buses that are on operation in the Southern Expressway ,” he said adding that the passengers are made to pay thrice the normal bus fare but lack facilities.
Pix by Indika Handuwala
“Thus, toilet facilities with a commode are a must in these buses because people take these buses to go on distant tours and it is a necessity to have this service,” Mr. Gunawardena said. Under the new regulations the super luxury buses should have facilities which include high back adjustable luxury reclining seats, tinted double glass windows, six air balloon suspensions for more passenger comfort and safety, adjustable footrest, two point seat belts for seats, full steel body for extra passenger safety, electric retarder for extra passenger comfort on emergency stopping with ABS brakes, reverse camera, toilet with commode, min. 2 Nos, 17” LCD panels with DVD+ driver stereo.
He said the NTC will go ahead with the decision regardless of objections which may arise. The NTC head said no new permits will be given if the buses do not have the required facilities. A bus with these facilities is likely to cost over Rs. 14 million.
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