INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has emphasized the need to maintain more efficient and quality public transport services to attract
passengers.The people have been severely inconvenienced due to the increase in oil prices and at the same time, there is a high demand for
give relief to the people.His remarks came during a discussion on the progress review of the Ministry of Transport and Highways held at the
It was also decided to take steps to supply fuel to private buses at night through the petrol stations owned by the Transport Board.It was
also decided to expand the Park - Drive system and reduce parking charges
The President also advised to check immediately the possibility of providing parking facilities near selected railway stations.It was also
proposed to use the existing active timetable for SLTB and private buses for short-distance journeys
Steps will be taken to launch new train services targeting office services and to increase the number of compartments for trains currently
in operation.It was agreed to resolve the salary issue of SLTB employees, and also decided to submit the relevant cabinet paper
soon.Meanwhile, a plan to lease the reserved lands owned by the Railway Department for food crops for a period of one year was revealed at
this meeting.Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the Divisional Secretariats are planning to provide the relevant lands to the farmer
societies at a very low tax rate.Chief of Staff to the President Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Ministry R.W.R
Pemasiri, Heads of line institutions and representatives of Private Bus Associations were also present at the discussion.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://adaderana.lk
