In Sri Lanka, the inefficiencies of the current public transport system, marked by delays, overcrowding, and hygiene issues, have driven commuters away from buses and trains, forcing them into private vehicles that strain both their wallets and the country’s economy. 

Public transport, once responsible for 80% of commuter trips, now accounts for just nearly 40%, creating an urgent need for reform. Economists argue that improving the quality and accessibility of public transport could transform not only the daily commute but also the nation’s economic landscape.

Need to update bus fleet

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Chairman Ramal Siriwardena outlined the current challenges facing the public transport system, highlighting the state of the bus fleet.

“At present, we are unable to provide a detailed outline of all plans for the upcoming years. However, one of the immediate measures is addressing the condition of the fleet, which is far too old,” he noted.

He explained that the number of kilometres covered by buses per day had drastically decreased due to the poor state of the vehicles. Furthermore, many buses being out of service, awaiting engine and gearbox repairs, has added to the crisis. The SLTB’s immediate priority was to repair these buses and get as many of them back on the road as quickly as possible, he noted.

Siriwardena also acknowledged that cleanliness had become an issue. “The condition of many buses is unacceptable. I have instructed depot managers to clean the interiors and exteriors, especially the seats, to prevent schoolchildren in white uniforms from getting dirty. We’ve also advised the bus crew to be courteous, particularly to schoolchildren and commuters. These are some of our immediate concerns,” he said.

He added that the economic downturn had further complicated the situation, with fuel consumption rising as the fleet aged and with many depots struggling financially. 

“There is a standard fuel consumption ratio, but older buses consume more fuel. We have instructed staff to maintain the buses properly, ensuring regular docking and servicing to minimise wastage. Depots are finding it difficult to pay workers’ salaries on time due to the significant drop in income, which is tied to the reduction in the number of kilometres travelled.

“We’ve introduced several measures to reduce revenue leaks, such as deploying new flying squads. These squads operate across our 12 regions, but we’ve advised them not to limit their checks to their own regions to prevent information leaks,” he stated. 

He acknowledged that SLTB workers were struggling with the rising cost of living, noting that they were somewhat poorly paid compared to other Government employees.

“One of the major challenges is the need to regularly update the fleet. We need to introduce 500 buses annually or repair at least 500 engines each year to keep the fleet running, given that an engine typically has a lifespan of about 500,000 km. Further plans to expand the public transport sector will be formalised after the General Elections,” he continued.

Referring to previous projects, Siriwardena noted that while there was a plan to import 200 electric buses, it had not materialised because the single tenderer had not performed, while adding that another tender for buses under a supplier credit arrangement had failed to attract any bidders. He also explained that at present, public transport use had seen a drastic drop from over 60% in previous years, with many now opting for private transport.

“Looking forward, our intention is to increase the percentage of people using public transport from the current 35% to 70% by the end of our five-year term. We have plans to introduce more comfortable buses and e-ticketing systems after the General Elections,” he said.

Immediate past Chairman of the SLTB S.M.D.L.K. De Alwis told The Sunday Morning that significant investments had not been made in infrastructure development in the recent past. However, project proposals have been prepared to procure 1,000 buses, including 400 luxury buses, for the highways and the Colombo metropolitan area. 

He stated that despite their attempts and a tender being deployed for the luxury buses, no one had responded due to the supplier credit basis.

De Alwis also mentioned efforts to modernise payment systems, with the Ministry of Transport introducing an electronic transit card system that remained in the tender stage. “The retendering process will now be the responsibility of the new management,” he noted. 

Small changes, big impact

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Frontier Research Head of Macroeconomic Advisory Chayu Damsinghe discussed the dynamics of Sri Lanka’s public transport system, particularly in Colombo.

“It’s an interesting situation in Sri Lanka, because Colombo is a relatively small city with a large population living and working in it. Given its density by global standards, you would expect significant traffic congestion. But compared to global and regional cities, Colombo’s traffic is actually manageable. 

“While cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Dhaka, New York, and London face traffic jams lasting two or three hours, Colombo does not experience such severe delays,” he said.

He further noted that, despite lacking a sufficiently modernised public transport system, Colombo benefited from an alternative form of quasi-public transport, namely tuk-tuks, which served a similar role in the city. 

“The fleet of tuk-tuks, especially in Colombo, acts as a form of public transport, playing a similar role, though not officially part of the public system,” Damsinghe noted. “In any economy, you need robust transport connectivity to ensure people can access economically viable locations. Colombo, as Sri Lanka’s most economically significant hub, relies on this connectivity.”

However, he pointed out that public transport infrastructure had not kept pace with the city’s evolving needs. “The Western Province’s public transport system hasn’t been updated in a long time. Areas that once had dense populations and required extensive bus routes may no longer need them, while newly populated suburbs lack sufficient public transport connections.”

Private transport options, such as tuk-tuks, taxis, and private buses, have stepped in to fill these gaps, but Damsinghe noted that this had led to economic disparities.

“While private transport has filled some of the void left by outdated public systems, it’s not as accessible to everyone, particularly the poorest segments of the population. This has contributed to greater economic inequality in terms of transport access,” he stated.

Damsinghe underscored that small changes to Sri Lanka’s public transport system could have a substantial impact. 

“Slow or crowded public transport is not unique to Sri Lanka and it’s not significantly worse in comparison to many peer countries. However, because the system isn’t dramatically bad, even relatively small improvements could have outsized benefits. Adding bus routes to newly populated regions is a simple change that could make a significant difference.”

He noted that it was easy to identify areas that needed better connectivity and introduce new routes, adding that this kind of infrastructure development could align better with emerging population and demographic trends.

“In terms of productivity, I think it is the quality of travel that makes it easier for people to work and come home and do other work. I would personally like to think of it as more of a qualitative assessment than a quantifiable one,” he said. 

Moreover, Damsinghe stressed that Sri Lanka’s public transport system, while not ideal, did not require a significant effort to improve. “Compared to developed countries, Sri Lanka’s transport is clearly lacking, but compared to its peer countries, the differences aren’t dramatically worse. This highlights that small, targeted changes could lead to substantial improvements.”

A call for urgent reforms

Meanwhile, emphasising the need to prioritise public transport in the country, University of Colombo (UOC) Department of Economics Professor Lalithasiri Gunaruwan told The Sunday Morning that an efficient public transport system should retain a high mode share, which referred to the percentage of passenger kilometres travelled by public transport. 

Prof. Gunaruwan pointed out that while 80% of Sri Lanka’s transport had once been served by public buses and railways, this had now declined to 40%. The shift towards private vehicles has increased fuel consumption, a critical issue for a country without petroleum resources.

Commenting further, he stressed that prioritising public transportation, especially rail, was crucial for economic efficiency. He underscored that private vehicle use not only strained the economy by increasing fuel imports but also worsened environmental damage and social inequality. A comprehensive transport policy is needed to encourage a transition from private to public transport, particularly rail, which he described as severely neglected by current policies.

“Effective public transportation should retain a high level of mode share, which is a unit by which we measure transport demand or activity. People are moving away from public transport. For efficient public transportation, the first criterion an economy should target is a public transport mode share. We might not be able to go back to 80%, but should at least retain the present level without allowing it to decline further.

“A decline of the public transport mode share leads to more private vehicles on the road. One bus may be travelling 3-4 km per litre of diesel and transporting 40 passengers maximum, amounting to 120 passenger kilometres per litre of diesel. Comparing this with private modes like cars shows how fuel-efficient public transport is. Fuel is dollar-intensive and is burning dollars,” he said.

Prof. Gunaruwan added that public transport should be more efficient, attractive, and affordable, highlighting that moving people from private modes to public transport should be a top priority in a country like Sri Lanka, which has no petroleum resources of its own.

Being particularly critical of current transport policies, he highlighted the disparity in support between road transport and railways, stating that the railway was very badly discriminated against by policy that was inequitable and unfair.

“The fare collected from railway passengers is nearly 60% less than the bus transport price. The private bus operator gets free road space maintained by the Government through the Road Development Authority (RDA). The RDA is maintained at the Government’s expense, but the railway has to maintain its own tracks,” he noted.

Prof. Gunaruwan also highlighted the broader societal impact of poor public transportation, stating that people travelling in public transport were extremely fatigued and lacked their full productive potential. “Provide better public transport, and people would be less stressed and less tired when they get to work. Less travel time means more productive work,” he added.

He emphasised that an effective transport policy should not just focus on travel but also on reducing the need for unnecessary travel, adding that land use planning and technological advancements could improve the passenger public transport sector.

“Public transport is discriminated against, and the worst discrimination is against the railways. While there are inefficiencies, the extent of discrimination against the railways is so bad that its finances are crippled. They cannot expand capacity to cater to current transport needs.”

Prof. Gunaruwan called for urgent reforms to Sri Lanka’s public transportation system, arguing that these changes would benefit the economy, environment, and public welfare. He emphasised that without proper investment and policies that attracted people to public transport, particularly railways, the economy would suffer.