Despite the bus fare increase, bus unions in distress

The bus unions say that despite the increase in passenger bus fares by 20% in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, bus services will not return to normal today.

President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association Gemunu Wijeratne said that passengers could not be expected to travel in buses without maintaining a distance of one meter.

In the face of the coronavirus expansion, as per the health guidelines, three methods of charging bus fares have been introduced.

Bus Transport Services State Minister Dilum Amunugama addressing a media briefing held in Colombo yesterday (10) stated that out of these three methods, the health authorities have only given permission to operate bus services with passengers limited to the number of seats.

However, the Health Ministry issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification on 15 October stating that those who violated the quarantine laws could be punished and that it is mandatory to wear face masks and maintain a distance of one metre.

Since these guidelines must be followed in public places, legal experts point out that the same procedure should be followed in buses as well.

Attorney-at-law Krishmal Warnakulasuriya noted that there is a discrepancy between the facts stated in the Gazette Notification issued by the Health Ministry and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Transport.