Bus fares to increase from today (22)

The National Transport Commission (NTC) announces that the revised new bus fares will be announced today, coinciding with the fuel price hike that occurred last night. With the price of a liter of Lanka Auto Diesel increasing by Rs. 79, its new price has risen to Rs. 382.

However, the National Transport Commission had not initially taken steps to increase bus fares in response to the immediate fuel price revision.

Commenting on this, Mr. Nilan Miranda, Director General of the National Transport Commission, confirmed that this new fare structure is scheduled to be officially announced today.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gemunu Wijeratne, President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association, states that bus fares are expected to increase by at least 15% as a result of the diesel price hike. Accordingly, the minimum bus fare as well as long-distance bus fares will be revised, and these new fares will be announced today.

Although the government recently increased the fuel quota, Mr. Wijeratne points out that managing the rising operational costs without a fare revision has become a significant challenge for bus owners. He stated that due to this sharp increase in fuel prices, a large number of private buses have already withdrawn from service, and warned that if immediate relief measures are not implemented, transport services could be further disrupted in the future.