School van charges raised by 5% with effect from today

Starting today, school transport fees in Sri Lanka will go up by 5% due to rising fuel prices. The All Ceylon School Children’s Transport Association announced this change on the 10th. Lalith Chandrasiri Fernando, the Association's President, explained during a press conference that, despite previous fuel price hikes, transport fees had not changed because of the tough economic conditions in the country. However, the recent increase of Rs. 22 per litre in fuel costs has forced them to raise fares. Fernando mentioned that this decision was made after thorough discussions with other related groups. The new transport fees take effect immediately. He stated, “The fuel prices jumped suddenly overnight. As a transport association, we have all agreed to increase fees by 5%. For instance, if a student currently pays Rs. 10,000 monthly, the new fee will be Rs. 10,500. The rise in fuel prices has greatly affected our sector. While we made this choice reluctantly, it was necessary after talks with other associations and officials.”