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Foreign tourists stuck
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Fenna and Jan
Foreign tourists were also among those caught in the bus strike. Most were only able to take trains and taxies to reach their destinations.
Sofi Mattingley (24), an Australian national, said she had been able to travel on time as trains were working. She had taken the Galle train, which while an archaic train, had been more reliable, she explained.
“I am a tourist so I want to travel to every place I can during the shortest time. Therefore, I’m confident of the train service. If there were to be a private transport sector strike in our country, the public would use state vehicles. Then they won’t be affected and the strikers wouldn’t be able to keep the public hostage on roads,” she said.
She emphasised that the Government had to undertake improvement in the state transport sector to support the locals.
“In Australia, if a law regulating traffic is passed everyone obeys it without challenging it by protesting. If offences are high actions to reduce such offences must be taken.”
A foreign couple who identified themselves as Jan and Fenna said they too were travelling from the South to Colombo. They needed to get a bus but had not been able to find one to their destination.
They expressed frustration as some of the SLTB buses that were on the road did not even have name boards stating their destinations.
The Government needed to deploy more buses when such strikes take place, they stressed.