April 12, Colombo (LNW): Authorities have stepped up public transport operations across Sri Lanka as thousands of people continue to leave major cities for their hometowns in the lead-up to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations.
The Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development confirmed that both bus and rail services have been expanded today to accommodate the seasonal surge in passenger numbers. Officials noted that additional buses are being deployed depending on demand, with transport hubs experiencing particularly heavy traffic.
Special long-distance services are also operating from the Makumbura Multimodal Centre, catering to travellers using the expressway network and aiming to ease congestion on conventional routes.
Amid the increased movement of passengers, Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayaka issued a firm warning to private bus operators, stressing that strict legal measures will be enforced against those found charging fares above the approved rates during the festive period.
He added that monitoring teams have been deployed to ensure commuters are treated fairly at this busy time of year.
