Passenger Transport Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday said that steps will be taken to improve the quality of the public transport service to the point where even parliamentarians can engage in their daily tasks using buses and trains.
“If the public transport services are improved, there is no need for further issuance of vehicle permits for parliamentarians spending a colossal amount of money by the Treasury.”
“To revoke the duty-free vehicle permits given to the MPs, we should make the public transport services an attractive and everyday choice for the people,” he added.
“The treasury spends colossal amounts of money to provide duty-free vehicle permits for parliamentarians and local government members. The public ultimately have to bear up all these burdens,” he added
“We will invest the money saved from curtailing the parliamentarians’ duty-free vehicle permits for other fruitful purposes,” he added.
He said that numerous steps were taken to improve the public transport services as reliable, frequent, fast, and comfortable. A regulation was introduced for prohibiting loud, disturbing music in buses, while a rule for carrying passengers according to the numbers of seats in buses is implemented.
The Mobile Passenger App ‘MYBUS- lk was launched to provide passengers with real-time journey information by minimising the difficulties they face while using the public transport.
“The “park and ride” method needed to be immediately implemented for both train commuters as and private vehicle users. It will provide arrangements for parking private vehicles in which the commuters can leave their vehicles and transfer to a common shuttle for the rest of their journey.
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