LPBOA warns of up to 50% reduction in bus services over fuel shortages

The President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA), Gemunu Wijeratne, has expressed concerns about the lack of proper regulation for fuel distribution to buses. He indicated that bus services could face major disruptions due to the inaction of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and relevant transport authorities. In some areas, the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots are supplying fuel to private buses, but Wijeratne pointed out that other depots have run out of fuel, causing serious problems for bus operators. He warned that by next Monday, bus services might be cut by as much as 50% if no solutions are provided. Wijeratne mentioned that the CPC has not yet set the necessary fuel quotas for buses. While the National Transport Commission has created quotas for about 1,700 long-distance buses and authorities claim they have gathered data from provincial councils, nothing has been put into action. He explained that although some SLTB depots provide fuel, others are empty when bus operators try to refuel. “This is a serious situation. By Monday, we may not be able to operate, and bus services could drop by 50%. We had fuel last week, but that supply is now gone. The current QR code system allows only 60 litres of fuel per bus,” he said. Wijeratne also noted that even though operators have been told to refuel at depots, doing so during the day interrupts bus services. He added that despite several days passing, the CPC and transport authorities have not yet fixed the problem.