New metered lorry service to transport household goods
View(s):From budget trishaw and meter taxi, Sri Lanka’s transportation is coming of age, with the advent of the ‘metered’ lorry.
Such a service is now in operation in Colombo to transport household goods to any part of the island in a cost-effective manner.
The METRO Metered Lorry Services Co. has launched this service with two small lorries for the benefit of customers in Wellawatte and Bambalapitiya. It will be expanded to 10 lorries to cover many areas, company chairman Ajith Wanniarachchi told the Business Times.
He said that his aim to provide a service at a reasonable price that will be cheaper than the usual.
Customers can obtain this service by calling a hot line with the charges being Rs. 1000 for the first 10 kilometres and Rs. 60 per additional kilometer.
Mr. Wanniarachchi noted that goods transportation has a good opportunity for services like this as the country’s economic activity has improved.
He believes METRO will set an example for others as 80 per cent of the goods transportation comes from small and medium enterprises.
He pointed out that household goods transportation is a problem due to lack of such services and the METRO company will mainly focus on this sector.
“We make it a point through our new service to ensure that the goods that we transport are delivered by well trained and experienced drivers and we also send reliable assistants along with the driver to ensure safe and on time delivery at the pre-determined destination,” he said.
Nihal Gamage, Proprietor of Gamage Transporters told the Business Times that a shortage of truck and lorry drivers is plaguing the goods transport industry in the country, and unless a viable solution is found soon, it will face a serious crisis.
He revealed that youngsters were not interested in the job and there was also migration of drivers to foreign countries.
Due to shortage of drivers, several lorries and trucks were lying idle, he added.
The government, transport operators and other stake holders should jointly address the issue, he emphasised.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus