CCTV systems to be compulsory on school vans from next year - Minister

Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake, stated that CCTV systems will be made mandatory for all school vans.

Addressing Parliament today, the Minister highlighted that harassment of women and children in public transport has increased, and assured that the government will take necessary measures to minimize such incidents in the future.

He further announced that a set of guidelines for school transport services and office transport services will be introduced starting January 2026.

Speaking on passenger safety, Minister Rathnayake said,

“The only solution is to empower passengers. If someone attempts to harass a woman or a child, people must act instead of ignoring it, regardless of whether they are women or men. Unfortunately, due to certain challenges in our bus industry, many people are afraid to intervene.”

The Minister added that efforts to professionalize both the bus and three-wheeler industries are aimed at shifting the sector from unsafe practices toward a safer and more responsible standard.