Gemunu Wijeratne, President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA), stated that the withdrawal of private buses today (23) is not a strike.

He explained services were halted due to the recent fuel price increase, which makes operating under the current fare structure unviable.

Wijeratne noted over 90% of private buses are not running, but school transport, including ‘‘Sisu Sariya’’ buses, continues as usual.

He emphasized that operators acted independently to avoid losses and urged the government to approve fare revisions promptly.