• Calls for assistance to equip buses before regulations are strictly enforced
• Charges disparity in how law enforcement treats State-owned and private buses
• NTC calls for the law to be strictly enforced from tomorrow (1 July)

The Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) urged the Government to provide standard seat belts to private buses at concessional prices before enforcing the regulation that makes seat belts mandatory for bus drivers.

Last week, the National Transport Commission (NTC) announced that it will be mandatory for bus drivers to wear seat belts starting from 1 July. NTC Chairperson, Engineer P.A. Chandrapala, stated that strict action would be taken against drivers who fail to comply with the regulation.

Against this backdrop, LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne told the media yesterday (29) that if the Government is planning to introduce such a regulation, standard seat belts must be provided. Otherwise, he said, there is no point in wearing substandard seat belts that do not ensure safety. He added that the Government should provide those seat belts at concessionary prices for private buses, especially if they are being given free of charge to State-owned buses, claiming that law enforcement must be done equally. “Many people complain about the safety issues in Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses. Everything is being given free to them. But, we have to maintain our facilities without any support. When it comes to law enforcement, however, we are treated differently,” he alleged.

However, Wijeratne said that only discussions have been held regarding this matter and no final enforcement date has been announced. “The Police have the power to implement this. It was just an awareness programme. We have no issue with it. But the necessary facilities must be provided before such laws are enforced,” he said.

The requirement for drivers to wear seat belts has been in effect since 1 October, 2011 under the provisions of the Motor Traffic Act. However, non-compliance remains widespread, according to the NTC.

The rise in road accidents has also been linked to the failure of bus drivers to follow safety regulations, including the law requiring them to wear seat belts.

As a result, in response to the continuing increase in traffic accidents in the country, the NTC has decided to strictly enforce the seat belt law from 1 July.

Sub head for BOX – LPBOA calls for assistance 

Noting that the private bus sector is facing various issues, including bus fare-related concerns, private bus owners urged the Government to introduce a programme to protect and support the sector. They cautioned that the failure to do that would result in the sector’s collapse.

Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association’s President Gemunu Wijeratne made these remarks during a press briefing, where he raised concerns about bus fare revisions which are based on fuel price revisions.

He opined that the existing bus-fare revision system is not designed for the recently introduced monthly fuel-price revision system: “When the national policy on bus fares was introduced, there were no monthly fuel price revisions. But, it exists now. The bus fare formula is 23 years old as it was introduced in 2002. Accordingly, it has to be updated now.”

Noting that bus owners will keep an eye on whether fuel prices will be revised today (30), he added that in the event of a fuel price revision, bus owners will most likely have to revoke the fare that has been decided for the month of July. He expressed hope that the authorities will keep fuel prices unchanged during the monthly fuel price revision.

(Sumudu Chamara)

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