Govt. mulls action against SLTB drivers bypassing schoolchildren and citizens with season tickets

Discussions have been held at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, regarding Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus drivers who operate services while bypassing schoolchildren and citizens with season tickets.

During the meeting, the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, stated that any citizen could report such incidents by calling 1958. He further emphasized his awareness of the said issue and assured that stringent measures would be taken against such misconduct. 

He also mentioned that SLTB drivers and conductors had been duly informed of the matter, the Parliamentary Communications Department said in a statement.

The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports met under the Chairmanship of the Minister Bimal Rathnayake at Parliament, where these issues were discussed. 

The meeting was attended by the Hon. Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, the Hon. Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena along with both government and opposition Members of Parliament, as well as officials from state institutions affiliated with the ministry, the statement added.

Furthermore, the Committee Chair expressed his concern regarding the lack of initiative from railway department officials in addressing the harm caused to elephants, despite the availability of technology. He pointed out with regret the incident where six elephants perished due to a train collision, calling it a deeply unfortunate occurrence. 

He expressed disappointment over the railway department officials in failing to utilize the GPS technology to mitigate such incidents and expressed his dissatisfaction over their inaction, it noted.

Minister Bimal Ratnayake issued directives to the railway department officials to take all necessary measures to prevent such occurrences. In response, the officials stated that discussions were already underway and that immediate steps were being taken to address the issue. Additionally, an ad hoc Parliamentary Committee was established, comprising Members of Parliament, to formulate an efficient management system within the railway department.

Discussions also covered the issue of the container congestion at the port, with the Hon. Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation briefing Members of Parliament on the steps taken to address the matter, the statement mentioned.

Accordingly, to mitigate the delays caused by containers being held at the port, additional staff had been swiftly recruited. To alleviate congestion within the port, approximately two acres of land in Bloemendhal area had been allocated to customs for vehicle parking, the Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku stated. 

He further highlighted that the Port Community System, which is a digital technology initiative, had been launched as a long-term and sustainable solution.

Additionally, the Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for the year 2023, along with the Annual Report of Jaya Container Terminals Limited for the year 2023, was reviewed and approved during the Ministerial Consultative Committee meeting held.

Moreover, a progress review was presented by the chairpersons of the three subcommittees appointed under the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation to seek legal and administrative solutions for issues related to transport, highways, ports, and civil aviation, according to the Parliamentary Communications Department.