The Hon. (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasena - Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity. On the Hon. Member’s Motion, let me place the current policy record:

¶ 02 1. By Cabinet Decision (ref. Amap/23/0967/608/065 of 5 June 2023) arising from Cabinet Paper MT/41/2023 of 22 May 2023, the matter of introducing minimum specifications for buses used in public passenger transport was referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Energy and Transport for recommendations.

¶ 03 2. The Ministry referred it to the Committee, which discussed it on 10 August 2023, and then convened relevant agencies on 22 August 2023 to obtain observations.

¶ 04 3. By letter SOC/E&T/2023/MinT&Hy of 31 August 2023, the Committee informed that it recommended the specifications with agreed amendments, to be applied for two years on a pilot basis, and that a future portion of imports, as determined, should consist of electric buses.

¶ 05 4. Accordingly, a technical committee (officers from the Ministry, Department of Motor Traffic, SLTB, and NTC) finalized the minimum specifications and submitted them via Cabinet Memorandum 11/15/2024 of 1 April 2024, proposing:

¶ 06 4.1 Adoption of these minimum specs for all buses used in public passenger transport as a national policy.

¶ 07 4.2 NTC and Provincial Transport Authorities to issue route permits only to buses complying with these specs; the DMT to be informed accordingly.

¶ 08 4.3 SLTB, NTC and Provincial Transport Authorities to update existing fleets to comply when replacing buses.

¶ 09 5. By Cabinet Decision (Amap/24/0559/608/024 of 1 April 2024), proposals 4.2 and 4.3 were approved, drawing attention to the Finance and National Policy Minister’s observations.

¶ 10 6. The Finance and National Policy Minister also emphasized adopting a time-bound action plan to address negative practices—unsafe competitive driving, prolonged journey times, overloading, lack of coordinated timetables, weak rural services—to make public transport more attractive.

¶ 11 7. However, approval was not granted for proposal 4.1 (declaring the minimum specs as a national policy). Therefore, the Motion’s call to legislate import restrictions to only standard-compliant buses was not approved as such.

¶ 12 That said, as a Government and Ministry, we accept that public transport must be both comfortable and safe. Buses are only one component; rail and other modes also matter. Regarding buses, we intend to import higher-standard vehicles—A/C where appropriate, super-luxury for expressways, and low-floor models with air suspension for comfort and safety—using the Rs. 3,000 million allocated in the Budget for low-floor bus imports, as stated by the President. We also plan to add more buses to SLTB’s fleet over the next few years.

¶ 13 We are engaging with five investors to shift gradually to electric buses. While 100% conversion within five years may be difficult, we aim to reach a reasonable level and will begin the transition promptly, progressively replacing fleet units with safer, more comfortable buses.

¶ 14 To improve quality across modes, the National Transport Commission (Amendment) Bill, presented for First Reading yesterday, will empower the NTC to regulate, beyond buses, school vans, three-wheelers, and motorcycles, and set standards accordingly.

¶ 15 On bus modifications: our recent actions were an awareness campaign, not just removal of fittings. This month, we will fix a date after which non-compliant “decorative” buses cannot operate; from that date, enforcement will be strict, with Police notification. Festivals have their place—not inside buses.

¶ 16 Public transport depends on roads. Now, buses, trains, planes, and ports sit under one Ministry, allowing integrated solutions. Low-floor buses will likely be city-limited; rural and estate roads require shorter buses. Over the next five years, we aim for clear positive change in the sector. I thank the Hon. Member for the Motion.