News
Bus operators offload politicians; no more hires for political events
Cash-strapped bus owners have decided not to hire out their vehicles to politicians, trade union activists and protest organisers if the purpose is to take supporters to political events and protests.
Private Bus Owners Association Chief Gemunu Wijeratne told the Sunday Times that bus owners were appalled by the ruling party parliamentarians’ failure to address the losses incurred by bus owners during the May 9 violence. 
“About 75 to 100 buses were damaged, some reduced to ashes while others were stoned and beyond repair. Some were pushed to the Beira Lake while one bus was dashed to the ground using a payloader. These buses were used by politicians to carry supporters to Colombo. Yet parliamentarians are talking about the damage caused to their houses and how much agony they went through, but not about the losses we suffered,” he said.
Mr. Wijeratne claimed a few distraught bus owners even tried to commit suicide. Some owners complained of heartaches, while one was paralysed after seeing the bus he hired out for Rs. 15,000 being torched.
“We can’t expect big claims from insurance companies. This attack was a major hit for single bus owners. Many are calling us to complain about the loss of their sole income. We want justice. The bus owners should be compensated for the loss they suffered,” he said.
He warned that the lack of protection for buses would aggravate the transport issues the people were experiencing.
“Of the 18,000 private buses in the country, only 13,000 are operating now. After the pandemic and the fuel crisis, now violence is contributing to the transport crisis.” - Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!