August 20, Colombo (LNW): The recently introduced luxury shuttle service connecting Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with Colombo Fort Railway Station and the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre (MMC) has been temporarily halted as of 19th August.
Launched on 15th August, the service immediately faced resistance from transport unions, leading to a bus strike by the Airport-Fort Bus Employees’ Union on 16th August.
Union leaders expressed discontent, arguing that the luxury shuttle undermined their operations.
The protest quickly gained momentum with support from BIA taxi associations and formal complaints lodged with both the Ministry of Transport and the Election Commission.
In light of these pressures, the decision was made to suspend the service after just four days of operation.
Indika Gunasekara, President of the Airport-Fort Bus Employees’ Union, announced plans to replace the luxury shuttles with ten of the union’s own buses, ensuring continued service from BIA to Colombo Fort and Makumbura MMC.
The situation underscores the complexities of introducing new transport initiatives in the face of existing industry resistance and labour union influence.
