SRI LANKA TRANSPORT BOARD TO ACQUIRE 200 NEW LUXURY BUSES

The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) is facing an urgent need to modernise its fleet, as nearly 52% of its ordinary buses and 94% of its luxury buses have exceeded their economic lifespan.

Currently, to meet passenger demand on expressways, the SLTB operates 61 privately-owned luxury buses on a profit-sharing basis due to an insufficient number of its own vehicles.

In response, the SLTB has decided to procure 200 new luxury buses for expressway services using its own funds.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation to facilitate this.

Under the approved plan, 29 luxury buses will be directly purchased by financially capable depots.

For the remaining buses, the SLTB will make initial payments using its funds, with the balance to be paid in monthly instalments over a five-year period from the revenue generated.