Pathfinder Foundation presents white paper on ‘Digitalisation of the National Transit System’

From left: Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Pathfinder Foundation Senior Visiting Fellow Rajendra Theagarajah and Visa Country Manager Avanthi Colombage

The Pathfinder Foundation together with its strategic partner Visas International recently presented a white paper on ‘Digitalisation of the National Transit System’ to Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

The study, led by Pathfinder Foundation Senior Visiting Fellow Rajendra Theagarajah and Mobility Specialist Sheran Fernando, suggests that through digitisation, efficient resource optimisation can reduce congestion in cities and reduce carbon emission from transport. 

The white paper analyses transit from the viewpoint of all stakeholders and aligns recommendations to benefit them. The public can enjoy more efficient commutes, with shorter travel times and multi modal door-to-door solutions. The business community can enjoy enhanced competitiveness through more cost-effective transit. From the perspective of the Government, digitisation can deliver a better quality of service more cost effectively. 

Furthermore, as digitisation optimises the efficiency of the resource pool that is presently in use, high capital expenditure on expensive infrastructure upgrades could be postponed and digitisation can enhance the collection of transit revenues. 

During the research for the white paper consultations with key stakeholders including: the National Transport Commission, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Card Payment Operators Association of Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and Lanka Clear, were carried out. 

This Pathfinder study on National Transit is aligned to a broader economic vision that was presented by the Foundation to the Government of Sri Lanka in July under the title “Beyond the Box: A new economic vision for post-COVID-19 Sri Lanka.” 

In August 2021 the Pathfinder Foundation in collaboration with Visa also handed over a Report on ‘Connecting Micro & SME Sectors to Contribute towards Economic Prosperity: In a Digital Savvy, Post-COVID-19 Sri Lanka’ to Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. This study examined the current state of the ‘start up’ ecosystem, specifically the fin-tec and agri-tec players, and the opportunities for this sector to energise the MSME/SME segment in contributing meaningfully towards the economic revival of Sri Lanka. The findings of the report align with the ADB’s recent announcement to provide a $ 165 million loan to Sri Lanka to provide financing support for SMEs. The ADB Country Director has stated that introducing digital platforms to SMEs will encourage access to global markets at a lesser cost.