Following the success of the trial priority bus lane project carried out last week by the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, the private bus unions are now calling for the concept to be extended further.
The General Secretary of the All Ceylon Private Bus Association, Anjana Priyanjith is now requesting the plan be implemented in major towns around the country. ¨We request the concept to be introduced in towns at least during the peak hours,” he said adding that the trial was a success for bus operators.
¨Dedicating a lane for buses proved extremely beneficial for bus operators,¨ he said, adding that during the trial period bus operators were able to save time while competition between busses too reduced. According to him this resulted in less accidents during the time as well as less road rule violations by the drivers.
Claiming that the public transport sector is losing almost 12 per cent of its passengers annually, Priyanjith says dedicated bus lanes will attract the people again to public transport as it will increase the service quality of private busses. ¨We consider the proposed system as extremely beneficial and as a solution to uplift the crumbling public bus transport system in Sri Lanka¨ he said.
On March 12, the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development introduced a priority bus lane as a trial for a one kilometer stretch from Welikada junction to the Ayurveda junction in a bid to ease the traffic congestion in Colombo.