NTC moves to raise bus fares amid fuel crisis

2026-03-24 - 02:24

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has submitted a proposal to the Cabinet seeking approval to increase bus fares by over 10%. Meanwhile, President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) – Gemunu Wijeratne has stated that the fuel quota allocated for buses has not yet been properly finalized, warning of potential service disruptions today (March 23). He attributed the situation to delays by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and relevant transport authorities in taking timely action. Wijeratne noted that while some Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots have supplied fuel to private buses in certain areas, others have reported shortages, leaving operators facing significant difficulties. Elaborating further, he said, “The required fuel quota for buses has still not been finalized by the CPC. Nearly 1,700 long-distance buses have been allocated fuel through the NTC, and it is said that provincial councils have obtained the said relevant data. However, the process remains incomplete. Fuel is being issued from SLTB depots in some areas, but in others, when buses arrive at depots, they are informed that there is no fuel available. This is a serious issue. By Monday, we may not be able to operate buses. Services could be reduced by up to 50%. Last week, our buses had fuel reserves, but those have now been exhausted. Under the QR system, buses are receiving only about 60 litres. Authorities have advised us to obtain fuel from depots, but if buses queue at depots during the day, they cannot operate services. Despite several days passing, the CPC and transport authorities have still been unable to resolve this issue.”