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Park and Ride: Free for two months

29 Dec 2020

Launch on 2 January

By Pamodi Waravita   The upcoming “Park and Ride” system, which will enable private vehicle owners to park their vehicle and take a shuttle service to work, would not be levying parking fees from private vehicle owners during the first two months of its implementation. Speaking to The Morning, Greater Colombo Urban Transport Development Project Township Development Component Project Director Nalaka Dissanayake stated that the first two months of free parking would be offered as an incentive for the public to get accustomed to this system. The Park and Ride system, set to launch on 2 January 2021, will allow vehicle owners travelling into Colombo to park and take a shuttle service from the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre (MTC) to the city. Dissanayake stated that after the first two months, the parking fees would be charged under three categories, namely three hours, six hours, and one day. He added that the parking fee would differ from vehicle to vehicle as well, but refused to elaborate on the exact pricing mechanism, as it has not been finalised yet. These buses would operate on two separate routes, clockwise and anticlockwise, from Kottawa. The first route would operate through Kottawa-Pannipitiya-Battaramulla-Rajagiriya-Fort-High Level Road-Kirulapone-Makumbura. The second would run through Kottawa-Nugegoda-Nawala-Narahenpita-Torrington-Town Hall-Fort-Colpetty-Bambalapitiya-Thummulla-Makumbura. According to the State Minister of Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services, and Carriages and Automotive Industries Dilum Amunugama, the bus rates of the luxury buses providing the shuttle service would be double the amount charged by the non-A/C buses that currently operate within the city. Amunugama also mentioned that the Ministry hopes to hold a trial run tomorrow (30) with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Police. “Signal priority would be given to the bus that will operate during the trial,” he said. When asked whether this facility would only be available for small vehicles and motorbikes, Amunugama stated that it could be used by any private vehicle coming into Colombo. This system hopes to reduce the heavy traffic congestion during the morning and evening peak times of the week.


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