Bus strike inevitable, if fare-hike demand not met

The Transport Ministry will today make a fresh attempt to resolve a dispute over the proposed private bus fare increase and avert an islandwide strike due to commence from midnight.

Transport Deputy Minister Ashok Abeysinghe said that another meeting with the private bus trade unions has been summoned for today.

He said Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe was also due to meet Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and department officials last evening over the matter.

He said that talks held with Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva on Friday had ended without success. He will appoint a new Cabinet committee to set guidelines to increase the fare.

“If the strike is unavoidable, we are prepared to face that as well. We have first to notify the public and use the full strength of the Sri Lanka Transport Board fleet which is nearly 6,000 buses to cover the services of 20,000 private buses,” he said.

The Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association head Gemunu Wijeratne said that even private bus owners who are willing to support the Government have to resort to union action from Sunday midnight if their demands were not met.

Another private bus owner as well as the Chairman of the Inter-Provincial Private Bus Owners' Association P Sarath Wijeratna Kumara said that the Government should have increased the bus fare by May.

“We cannot run a business like this, most of the vehicle parts and household items have increased their prices adding to the expense. Therefore we are forced to resort to strike,” he said.

Gamage Sumanadasa, Convener of the All Ceylon Bus Trade Union Federation said that the Minister forced them to strike by ignoring their demands.

The Chairman of the Southern Private Bus Owners Associations' Federation G. Chandana de Zoysa said that they have already sent out messages to the operators on the Southern expressway about the strike due to commence on Sunday.