WESTERN PROVINCE PRIVATE BUSES ON STRIKE

Bus Commuters inconvenienced owing to this sudden bus strike:

From mid night yesterday owing to the sudden decision taken by the Private Bus Operators Association, Western Province, the commuters of route No 138 and the connected routes would be greatly inconvenienced. They will be hampered badly in doing Christmas shopping and visiting relatives and friends during the festive season.
The motive and the decision taken for this sudden bus strike is for allowing more bus route permits for some routes in Homagama and Padukka areas as already there is a surplus of private buses plying on these routes and the owners of the private buses already on these routes are incurring losses.
From yesterday the buses on route No 138, Colombo- Homagama and the connecting routes commenced the strike and it had terribly inconvenienced the office workers who were returning home living in these areas. Apart from them those who would have planned to do last moment Christmas shopping and those who have planned to visit relatives and friends would be greatly affected.
The Minister of Transport had said that he would deploy CTB buses as much as possible to reduce the inconvenience that is to be caused to the commuters owing to this strike. He also wishes to resolve this matter by giving attention to the cause of the strike and through discussions with the related representatives of the Private Bus Association to bring about an immediate remedy.