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Bus travellers to get better deal
Bus commuters may get a much needed respite from bad drivers, rude conductors and generally poor service they experience while using private bus transportation services once tougher regulations to discipline and train the operators come into effect from January 2015, Motor Traffic Commissioner-General S.H. Harischandra said.
He said the Motor Traffic Department and Police will jointly implement the regulations approved by Parliament in early July which are aimed at giving bus commuters a better deal.
Along with a code of conduct, all drivers and conductors will have to undergo training in first aid and motor mechanism if they are to be employed in the public transport services.
“If they use abusive language or harass passengers, they will no longer be tolerated in the service. They should also be able to assist passengers and others with first aid if they are involved in an accident,” Mr. Harischandra said.
Under the regulations promulgated as “Motor Traffic (Public Service Driving Licence) Regulations, no driver will be allowed to drive a public service vehicle for carriage of passengers unless he is authorised by a special endorsement from the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic.
To obtain this, an application will have to be made to the Commissioner General together with Rs. 2,000 as a levy for the issue of the special endorsement.
To get the endorsement, the applicant will need to be between 23 and 65 of age, should have two years driving experience, have a medical certificate issued by the National Transport Medical Institute and complete a first aid course from a recognised institution.
They should also pass a mechanical knowledge examination conducted by a recognised institution. The list of recognised institutes will be gazetted shortly, Mr. Harischandra said.
Applicants should also not have a criminal record under any law.
Transport Minister Kumar Welgama who introduced the regulations to Parliament said they are urgently needed due to the ever increasing road accident rate which has become a serious problem.
“Drivers who transport passengers should be experienced and disciplined. Those who are not aware of road rules are responsible for many road accidents. Careless driving is a key factor in fatal road accidents. Public transport is a responsible task which should be handled only by qualified drivers,” he said.