LPBOA slams bus fare revision as misleading and ineffective
Saturday, 05 July 2025 - 6:34 pm
The Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) has strongly criticized the gove ment’s recent bus fare revision, calling it both misleading and meaningless.
Speaking at a media briefing, LPBOA Chairman Gemunu Wijerathne said the 0.55% reduction in fares has tu ed responsible officials and the gove ment into a 'joke' in the eyes of the public.
'This fare revision offers no real benefit to passengers or bus owners,' Wijerathne said. 'The announcement appears to have been made merely to satisfy ministers and officials, who seem more conce ed with job security than meaningful reform.'
He claimed the revision was done to mislead ministers and give them a false sense of action, as has happened in previous years. “People can clearly express their thoughts when you speak to them. No one believes this reduction has any practical value,” he added.
Wijerathne also pointed out the practical difficulty of implementing a fare reduction that affects only cents, raising conce s about issues with providing change.
Highlighting that most commuters use buses for Rs. 27 and Rs. 35 fare stages, he noted those prices typically change only with a significant increase or decrease in diesel prices. “The reality is that this minor fare revision changes nothing for daily bus users,” he said.
