The Hon. Jagath Vithana

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I raise several concerns aligned with the Deputy Minister’s NTC proposals, seeking attention:

¶ 02 - AC bus procurement costs have escalated: earlier a 29/33-seat AC bus was about Rs. 20 million; now balloon‑type AC buses cost Rs. 50–55 million. SLTB operates super luxury services, but private operators who invest Rs. 50+ million must run them on standard luxury fares, making operations uneconomic. Many buses remain parked. Please review fare and cost alignment.

¶ 03 - The new requirement to maintain Rs. 2 million bank balance for six months burdens returning migrant youth from Korea/Japan who wish to invest in buses. Consider calibrated thresholds or alternate proofs of capacity so new entrants are not excluded. I personally can comply, but the rule should not bar newcomers.

¶ 04 - At the NTC, applicants spend days in queues. I proposed, and the advisory committee accepted, that when changing vehicle ownership, both seller and buyer should be able to appear the same day to sign all required documents, enabling immediate lawful transfer. Please implement swiftly.

¶ 05 - On the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT): there are serious delays in registering brand‑new vehicles purchased from agents; despite “online” claims, registrations are not processed timely.

¶ 06 - A critical issue: charging of fees without legal basis by a former Commissioner General of Motor Traffic. I tabled an Auditor General’s Department query dated 2026.01.14 seeking clarifications from the DMT. Popular registration numbers were allegedly set aside and Rs. 1 million per number collected, but disposition of many such numbers is unclear while vehicles bearing those numbers are on the road. Please investigate losses amounting to hundreds of millions of rupees and regularize under the new Gazette.

¶ 07 The DMT’s image is one of delays and difficulty. Please reform processes and ensure humane handling of permit transfers at the NTC.

¶ 08 Thank you.