The Hon. Dewananda Suraweera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, this Government—the National People’s Power—has begun restoring decency and discipline to a country that had fallen into disorder. As we bring laws to re-establish order, some politicians—burdened by their own past—cannot bear it. An Hon. Member who spoke earlier made baseless allegations about the NPP. We challenge him to repeat them outside Parliament without the protection of privilege.

¶ 02 Let us return to the Bill. After 30 years, we are finally amending this Act. The transport sector has been turned into an intractable mess. Who destroyed the bus industry, the three-wheeler sector, the school transport services? Now, when we set out to fix them, the Opposition avoids the subject and hurls distractions.

¶ 03 Our vision is clear: rebuild a shattered economy; ensure a healthy population; build an environmentally sustainable, prosperous country. Transport is a key pillar in that vision. Today, people who leave home in the morning are unsure they will return safely in the evening because of indiscipline and deadly competition on the roads. We must restore order.

¶ 04 The existing law covered only bus passenger transport. This Amendment brings school transport, office transport, and three-wheeler services into a unified regulatory and ethical framework to protect public life. We are moving with a comprehensive plan.

¶ 05 Three-wheeler drivers have carried workers to offices before dawn for decades, yet the sector lacks respect and order. A few bad actors, often empowered during prior regimes, dragged parts of the sector into crime and illicit activities; but hundreds of thousands of families depend on it. This Bill will bring regulation, dignity, and social protection, and improve the future of all engaged in road passenger transport. Despite any obstruction, we will proceed. I thank the Hon. Minister of Transport for bringing this Bill and the Chair for the time.