The Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA), Gemunu Wijeratne has lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over alleged defamatory statements made against him on social media.

The complaint has been made by Wijeratne over his remarks pertaining to the Metro Bus project, after which he claims he was subjected to defamatory comments across social media platforms.

Speaking to media, Gemunu Wijeratne said the Metro Bus concept was not new and claimed that he had proposed a similar project to the Ministry of Transport.

He said he had submitted a proposal following the 2023 economic crisis, with plans to implement the project through financing from China’s EXIM Bank rather than public funds.

Wijeratne also claimed that a similar initiative had been launched during the administration of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa but was later abandoned after incurring substantial costs and losses.

He further pointed out that buses similar to those proposed for the Metro Bus service had been imported by a private company around 10 years ago.

According to Chairman Wijeratne, around 60 such buses were imported at the time, while another 20 similar buses remain at a facility in Panagoda.

He questioned the feasibility and operating costs of the proposed Metro Bus project, particularly in terms of fuel consumption, while reiterating that the concept itself was not new.

The CID complaint has been lodged amid ongoing social media discussions surrounding Wijeratne’s comments on the Metro Bus project.