The Hon. Kitnan Selvaraj

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, this is an important Motion. In the plantation highlands, transport projects linking estates have lagged badly. Although CTB began in 1958 and was later restructured as the National Transport Council in 1991, proper planning for the upcountry never materialized.

¶ 02 Even today, estate workers and students traveling from estates to nearby towns face the same difficulties as decades ago. It is distressing to hear the Opposition blame only the last seven months when these problems persist for 76 years.

¶ 03 In Badulla District, ten years ago, an SLTB bus met with a grave accident on the Poonagala–Bandarawela route, killing and disabling many. Despite promises, relief and improvements did not come, and students still struggle to travel in the mornings. Strengthening public transport with modern buses, as this Government plans, and better linking estates to towns is the right path. Under the 13th Amendment, inter-provincial public transport could have been improved, but past rulers failed to implement it, even when importing Indian buses. Today, the NPP Government’s stance to strengthen public transport merits full public support. Thank you.