February 01, Colombo (LNW): Commuters should brace for higher bus fares in the months ahead, even after the recent, modest dip in fuel prices, according to the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association.
Its President, Gemunu Wijeratne, said operators are facing mounting financial pressure and warned that a revision of fares would be unavoidable before July, particularly for services operating in Colombo and the surrounding urban belt. He pointed to worsening traffic congestion as the chief culprit eroding efficiency and driving up operating costs.
Under the existing fare formula, buses in and around the capital were once able to cover roughly three kilometres on a litre of diesel. That figure has now fallen sharply, with many vehicles struggling to manage even two kilometres per litre amid near-constant traffic delays. As a result, Wijeratne said the current pricing structure no longer reflects real-world conditions.
He indicated that short-distance fares, which account for the bulk of daily passenger journeys, would likely need to rise by about Rs. 5 to Rs. 6 at the minimum level. With an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 private buses running islandwide, these services form the backbone of public transport, yet operators say they are being pushed to breaking point in heavily congested areas.
Wijeratne was also critical of the government’s handling of the transport sector, arguing that little tangible improvement has been delivered since the present administration took office. He alleged mismanagement and corruption within parts of the system and called for meaningful reform rather than temporary fixes.
While stressing that the association does not control private bus operations, he said it had a responsibility to highlight the realities faced by operators. If conditions do not improve, he warned, fare increases would be the only viable option to keep buses running.
