Wide powers for new National Transport Commission

The Government will introduce laws to regulate school, office and other transport services.

These laws will give teeth to a new National Transport Commission (NTC) which is to be the sole authority to issue permits for vehicles to carry passengers.

For this purpose, Private Transport Services Minister C.B. Rathnayake will move amendments in Parliament to the National Transport Commission Act of No. 37 of 1991 (amended in 1996) and the Sri Lanka Transport Board Act of 2005.

The proposed commission will have a director general and a board that will represent Sri Lanka Railways, Sri Lanka Transport Board (chairman) and Provincial Transport Authority (chairman) to be appointed by the Minister of Private Transport Services. The commission will advise the Government on the national policy on all aspects of transport including the management of road traffic.

Among the other new roles for the commission will be: To annually revise, announce and implement fare structures based on separate fare indices taking into consideration the variation of overall cost and quality of service. To announce and implement scien- tifically prepared coordinated rotation time tables. To issue permits for special passenger transport services, charter services and the vehicles that operate for specified periods. To issue permits for omnibuses and other vehicles to carry passengers on inter provincial routes, national roads and expressways. Regulation of transportation of goods. An official of the Ministry of Private Transport Services said the new laws would prohibit the use of vehicles to carry passengers for a fee or reward without an authorised passenger service permit.