Sri Lanka to launch bus sector clustering pilot to curb route competition
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a pilot program to introduce bus sector clustering across three routes to curb operational inefficiencies and commuter inconvenience in the public transport sector, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said.
The initiative will target bus routes 170, 177, and 190 and aims to move away from individual operational units by managing interconnected routes as a single cluster of integrated, coordinated services.
Public passenger transport on the island is run by the state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and a number of independent private operators.
The sector is rife with issues, including excessive competition, poor schedule adherence, an oversupply of buses, unsafe driving, traffic congestion, and inefficient resource use.
Jayatissa said that while similar frameworks exist internationally, Sri Lanka’s initial approach will rely on voluntary cooperation rather than immediate corporate restructuring.
“In some countries around the world, this is implemented by corporate companies. However, this program is not being done by companies, but rather on a voluntary basis,” Jayatissa said.
According to the cabinet decision, the unified management strategy will seek to bring together all relevant stakeholders on the selected corridors to test the feasibility of a wider roll-out.
Following the evaluation of the pilot program’s results, the government plans to expand the bus sector clustering framework to other regions across the country.
-economynext.com
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