Permission is granted to sell passenger transport licenses

Providing solutions to a major problem faced by the private bus sector for over three decades, the new gazette notification, which allows bus owners to legally sell and transfer passenger transport service licenses, has been enforced since yesterday (6). Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Mr. Bimal Rathnayake, stated this at a press conference held at the Ministry Auditorium in Koswatta, Battaramulla, and emphasized that no new passenger transport licenses will be issued illegally in any way from now on.

Establishing a quality and systematic bus service within the country has been the primary objective of the Ministry.

The Minister pointed out that due to the limitations in the National Transport Commission Act No. 38 of 1991, it was previously not possible to transfer passenger service permits, and even if such a transfer was made, it was null and void in the eyes of the law. Recognizing this practical difficulty faced by those involved in the bus industry, the Ministry of Transport and Highways and the National Transport Commission have jointly introduced this legal transfer process with the aim of increasing efficiency in the sector. Through this, bus owners will have the full right to legally transfer their license to another party.

Under this new legal framework, it is mandatory for the transferee who wishes to obtain a license to have maintained financial viability, subject to a maximum of two million rupees, during the past six months. It has also been informed that the bus owner transferring the license must submit the relevant basic documents to the National Transport Commission through the online system. Especially, if a license was previously transferred through a power of attorney, it is an essential condition that those old transactions are completely terminated before this new transfer takes place. The Minister also recalled that bus owners faced many major problems in the past due to illegal transfers.

With the introduction of the new system, not only bus owners currently in service but also the young community aspiring to enter the field as new entrepreneurs will receive significant encouragement. Minister Bimal Rathnayake further stated that this process will provide permanent solutions to the license problems faced by bus owners in the Northern Province for a long time. A group of officials, including Engineer P.A. Chandrapala, Chairman of the National Transport Commission, and Ms. Priyanthi Gunasekara, Legal Officer of the Ministry, participated in this special press conference.