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Buses, trains on standby to resume service
Public transport operators have been readied to carry public servants reporting back to work on Monday and say they are ready to take the government’s lead on resuming normal service.
The Ministry of Transport said 5,000 buses and 400 trains would start this limited service next week throughout the country, in both curfew and non-curfew areas.
The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), Kingsley Ranawaka, said the SLTB has been providing transport for the health sector, police and army.
He said all staff had been asked to return to work and to prepare buses for wider service although no starting date has been given for resumption of services for the general public.
“We are ready and waiting for the instructions from the health sector. The SLTB would only resume services if the health sector advises us to do so,” Mr. Ranawaka said.
He emphasised the SLTB would take strict measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 when general service resumed.
One way to do this would be to put on more buses and carry only a small number of passengers. “This measure would be taken to limit the number of people and allow them to maintain a distance from each other,” he added.
Drivers and conductors have been given face masks and other protective gear to protect themselves while at work. They have been briefed about the defensive measures they need to take against the virus.
Mr. Ranawaka said buses are being disinfected and quarantined. Long-distance buses will be disinfected at depots on designated routes.
The All-Ceylon Transport Workers’ Union is not in favour of resuming service at this time.
The union’s General Secretary, Sepala Liyanage, said passengers could not carry out the one-meter distancing measure in buses and this could allow the spread of the virus. The number of infected people, currently topping 240, could rise if bus transport recommenced, he said.
“We cannot endanger people’s lives. I ask the authorities not to resume public transport until the situation comes to normalcy,” Mr. Liyanage said.
Private bus operators said they were willing to provide normal services but needed government assistance in order to operate smoothly.
The President of the Private Bus Owners’ Association, Gemunu Wijeratne, said operators had consulted transport experts such as Dr. Amal Kumarage, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Moratuwa, on how to operate when the curfew is lifted.
Mr. Wijeratne said operators plan to allow only one passenger to be seated in each row of seats for first three weeks. Afterwards, if the improves, more passengers would gradually be allowed on each bus.
“If the bus has 50 seats only 25 passengers will be allowed to travel in a bus at any given time in the first two weeks. Private and state institutions and companies must help us by giving leave to their employees at different times,” he said.
Trains have been transporting fuel throughout the curfew period but have stopped transporting goods, General Manager Railways Dilantha Fernando said.
Referring to calls by farmers unions for trains to be used to transport vegetables and other fresh produce from source to markets and distribution points, since the curfew prevented normal transport by road, Mr. Fernando said trains were unsuitable for this purpose.
He said the metal railway goods wagons were enclosed and had little ventilation. “The vegetables would go bad as the insides of the freight cars are hot,” he said.
“There are no carriages used for goods transportation that are equipped with freezers and air-conditioning systems so the railways will have practical difficulties in transporting vegetable and fish,” he said.