The Hon. Rohana Bandara

¶ 01 There are many other matters as well, but my time is limited. As today’s debate also relates to the transport sector, I must mention a few points. We know that in the recent period the railway line from Maho to Anuradhapura was rehabilitated. During that time, services that previously operated normally did not run; trains from Colombo to Jaffna did not operate. Today, work on that line has been completed, yet the trains that ran previously have still not been restored. In particular, the “Uttara Devi” which departed Colombo at 11.55 a.m., has not been reintroduced to service to date. Likewise, the Mail Train to Talaimannar has also not resumed. Operations of both those trains have not restarted.

¶ 02 Further, between Maho and Anuradhapura, a proper signalling system is not being followed. As a result, to stop a train, an officer from the station must run to the location and hand over the tablet to the engine driver, whereas it should be handed at the station. I request that urgent attention be given to these matters. Now that track rehabilitation is complete, trains can run smoothly and at speed. Therefore, please act to eliminate the delays I mentioned.

¶ 03 The Railway Department holds large extents of land, much of which remains underutilized in many districts including Anuradhapura. These lands must be properly managed, whether by leasing to the private sector or managing within the state sector, to derive maximum benefit.

¶ 04 With regard to public transport, as the rail service is state-run, our focus is primarily there. For buses, there is significant private sector participation, through which the public receives a reasonably good service, though issues remain. This is why I emphasized fitting CCTV in buses. If we are to provide a quality public transport service and improve system efficiency—while also breaking private monopolies—we must modernize the SLTB service and introduce modern buses. I conclude with those requests.

¶ 05 Thank you very much.