• NTC-Transport Min. claim protest action unfair as all consulted with many demands met 
• Truck driver sans sleep for 24-hrs+ in Kuliyapitiya accident, legal action pending against tipper owner 
• Stretch of Borella rd. closed for repairs  

Several unions of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) commenced union action from Wednesday midnight (27) based on four demands. Chairperson of the SLTB ‘Samagi Sewaka Sangamaya’, affiliated to the main Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Niroshan Sampath Premaratne stated that the strike was launched in protest against the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) decision to implement a unified bus timetable for both SLTB and private buses, along with several other demands.

Lanka Private Bus Association Chairperson Gemunu Wijeratne also stated that there are many issues with the introduced unified timetable.

However, NTC Chairperson P.A. Chandrapala responded by saying that the unified timetable was created after considering the views of all parties involved.

The Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena stated that the strike is unfair, as the majority of the demands made by the unions have already been granted.

Despite the strike being announced, buses from the Pettah Central Bus Stand, which start operating at midnight, continued their operations as usual. A SLTB driver also stated that arrangements had been made to ensure that buses operate without any issues yesterday (28).

Kuliyapitiya tragedy 

Meanwhile, the driver of the tipper truck, which collided head-on with a school van in the Kuliyapitiya area on Wednesday (27), killing three persons including two schoolgirls, has been remanded after being produced before Court. A road accident occurred in Pallewela, Kuliyapitiya on Wednesday morning, when a van transporting schoolchildren collided head-on with a tipper truck traveling in the opposite direction. 

Police said that two schoolgirls, aged 12 and 13, and the driver of the van, aged 64, died in the accident. Additionally, 13 other students who were injured were admitted to the Kuliyapitiya Base and Kurunegala Teaching Hospitals for treatment. Accordingly, the Kuliyapitiya Police arrested the driver of the tipper truck in connection with the incident on Wednesday, and he was produced before the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate Randika Lakmal Jayalath yesterday (28). 

After considering the facts presented, the suspect was ordered to be remanded until 8 September. Presenting facts before the Court, the Police noted that investigations had revealed that the driver had been operating the vehicle without sleep for over 24 hours. It was also revealed in Court that necessary legal action will also be taken against the owner of the tipper truck in the future.