The Hon. Sujeewa Dissanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I am pleased to join the debate on amending the National Transport Commission Act, No. 37 of 1991. Though enacted to guide national passenger transport policy, implement it, reorganize state bus passenger transport, and provide funding mechanisms, the Act has not been modernized for nearly 30 years.

¶ 02 Transport today encompasses buses, railways, three-wheelers, motor coaches, boats, ferries, and rafts. All must be regulated, as lives are invaluable. Recent fatal bus crashes, like at Giriulla, show the urgency.

¶ 03 In the North, ferry services to islands like Delft, Nainativu, Analaitivu, and Pungudutivu are decades old and unsafe. Globally, motor vehicles, trains, and aviation have advanced tremendously; many systems are automated. Our systems lag. School transport often uses unsafe, modified vans and buses; children have been injured or killed due to broken footboards, etc.

¶ 04 Drivers coordinate via mobile phones to undercut each other, risking passenger safety. Overloading is common. A government has a duty to regulate every segment of transport.

¶ 05 Rail began here in 1858; after 167 years, expansion is minimal, rolling stock is outdated, and unsafe behaviors persist, with tragic incidents widely seen on social media. We must regulate not only bus but also rail safety, and protect pedestrians—recent deaths at pedestrian crossings in urban areas like Wariyapola highlight this.

¶ 06 Some buses add dangerous metal fittings and decorations that worsen crash outcomes, as seen in Giriulla. Technology must be integrated—without it, we cannot progress. Therefore, this amendment is timely. We extend our fullest support.