Metro bus transport service boon to commuters

An effective public transport system is essential for any country and after years of lackadaisical attitude towards the road passenger transport service, the setting up of the Lanka Metro Transit Ltd., to operate a metro bus service comes as a relief to commuters. 

In this regard, Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake must be lauded for standing his ground and not giving into threats from private bus operators unions, that have, for years arm twisted governments in power to keep the majority stake in the road transport service, hike prices as they wish and sabotaging any efforts to strengthen the State-run bus sector.

The private bus system has reached such a point that calling it a service is an aberration. It has become a profit driven venture with the needs of commuters forgotten, hence strengthening the State service is welcome. Passengers have had to put up with uncomfortable rides with the buses packed to full capacity, reckless drivers and rude conductors. But with the introduction of the metro-bus service, for now in the Western  Province, commuters will be able to enjoy a comfortable, safer and reliable service.

The program to introduce a modern Metro Bus service was initiated as a proposal in the 2025 Budget, with an allocation of Rs. 3,000 million for the procurement of 100 low-floor buses to introduce a modern bus fleet. As part of the program 104 buses received by Sri Lanka and eight buses provided by Japan were deployed into service this week.

Along with the introduction of the buses, a fully digitalised system required for Metro Bus operations has also been completed. Once introduced, this system will support modern fleet management, passenger information, fare collection and operational monitoring.

Along with the metro bus system, Traffic Police also announced the reintroduction of the bus priority lane  for Colombo. While the bus priority lane was first introduced in 2015, it went off track after the initial phase with bus drivers rarely sticking to their designated lanes. Under the new system, the dedicated bus lanes will operate between 6:00 a.m. and 

9:00 a.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Minister Rathnayake explained the importance of having the bus priority lanes in the city stating it is meant to encourage greater use of public transportation by improving travel times and reliability for bus commuters. He noted that a single bus can transport 60 to 70 passengers, the equivalent of around 15 private vehicles on the road, making bus priority lanes a more efficient use of limited road space.

This too is welcome development, but there will be a level of skepticism among the public given how easily the country announces new programmes and soon slips back into the old ways. Be it the new bus service or priority lanes, these can only work with discipline and dedication only of drivers or owners, but also the cooperation of the public.

As for the metro bus service, the onus is on the public to ensure that these buses are well looked after and not damaged/vandalised has been the case with not only buses, but also trains.

A public transport system is for all citizens, and they must ensure that they play their part in ensuring that  state property is looked after. Such services have to survive beyond the terms of Government and put the country on its way to developing a reliable and efficient public transport system for the entire country.