A bus fare revision is likely to be made from midnight today as the provision of a fuel subsidy could not be implemented in practice at this time,Minister Dilum Amunugama said.
The Minister said that a proposal to revise the bus fares would be submitted to the Cabinet tomorrow and a decision would be taken after that and most likely the minimum bus fare would be 19 or 20 rupees instead of the 30 rupees demanded by the bus unions.
He was addressing the media after a discussion between the bus unions and the Minister of Transport. Commenting on the discussion, Gemunu Wijeratne, President of the Private Bus Owners’ Association, said that the Minister had suggested a reasonable bus fare revision.
“We did not ask for an increase in bus fares. If we are not subject to a certain regulation and a certain framework of national policy, we can negotiate with the government and give a diesel subsidy.
Gemunu Wijeratne also said that the Minister had hinted that a bus fare revision would be made from midnight tomorrow tomorrow in accordance with the national policy.
