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Business at a standstill at Negombo’s Rs. 190m central bus station
More than two years after it was ceremonially opened to the public, the modern central bus terminal at Negombo has ended up a white elephant with near zero-service to the commuters, and some 90 per cent of the trade enclosures unoccupied.
The terminal was built at an estimated cost of Rs. 190 million, and it was intended to serve some 25,000 commuters who pass by each day, but this is not the story today.
Pic by Hubert Fernando
Apart from a few stalls on the ground floor that has a limited occupation, the remaining enclosures on the first and second floors remain empty.
The mini-theatre cum wedding reception hall on the second floor has never been used since the opening of the terminal, because it takes in water during wet weather, owing to poor construction and building fittings, concedes Negombo Mayor Anthony Jayaweera.
He told the Sunday Times that most of the tenants of the trade stalls were residing overseas after depositing their key money with the authorities, and that was the main reason for the present situation.
He said that, under the agreement between the authorities and the tenants, there was no provision to take back the shops.
“However, I intend to go over the agreements at the very earliest, and institute legal action against the tenants before the end of this month.
The trade stalls were set up with a single purpose- that is to serve the commuters and the general public. But if this not happening today, then something has to be done to rectify the situation,” Mr. Jayaweera said.
He said the initial aim of the bus terminal was to provide shelter to the thousands of commuters and that the shops were a secondary matter.
Former Mayor of Negombo and presently a top minister in the Western Provincial Council (WPC) Nimal Lanza told the Sunday Times that the tenants’ reluctance to open up is owing to poor business.
“However, if that is the case, something will have to be done, as it is the general public that is affected by all this,” added Mr. Lanza, as the project was his brainchild.
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is not happy with the whole issue.
However, the UNP’s Negombo area Chief Organiser Royce Fernando said that out of the 78 stalls, only 37 had tenants, with no takers for the remainder.
“The simple reason is that the location is not a business area, as most of the people who come there are bus commuters eager to get to their homes and destinations, with no time for shopping.
The people behind the project should have taken this into serious consideration, before coming to a decision. At the end of the day, it is public funds that have been wasted, said Mr. Fernando who is also the opposition leader in the Negombo Municipal Council.
He added that even the so-called mini theatre or wedding hall is yet to be used to date, as there are no parking facilities.
“Furthermore, who would choose a public bus station to hold a wedding reception?” he asked.