Only about 5,000 of the 7,130 buses registered with the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) are fit to run, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena told Parliament on Thursday.

He was replying to a question from Member of Parliament Rohitha Abeygunawardena. Dr. Gunasena said the SLTB fleet has 6,987 ordinary buses and 143 luxury buses, and that more than 2,000 of the vehicles are out of service.

The Deputy Minister also gave a province-wise count of private buses. The Western Province has 5,524, followed by the Central Province with 2,433, the Sabaragamuwa Province with 1,866, the Southern Province with 1,326 and the North Western Province with 1,324.

The Uva Province has 1,043 private buses, the Northern Province 976, the Eastern Province 520 and the North Central Province 509. The figures he read out add up to 15,521 private buses across the nine provinces.

Dr. Gunasena said that as of 1 October the National Transport Commission (NTC) had issued permits to 2,966 private buses. These were 1,826 ordinary service buses, 651 luxury buses, 257 semi-luxury buses and 232 super-luxury buses.

Background

The SLTB is the state-owned bus operator and runs public bus services in competition with private operators across the island. Private buses operate under route permits, which the NTC issues and regulates.

Buses are the main form of public transport for many Sri Lankans, especially on routes that the railway does not serve. The share of the SLTB fleet that can actually run therefore affects how many seats the state can offer on those routes.

A registered bus is not necessarily a working bus. Vehicles can stay on the register while they wait for repairs, spare parts or a decision on whether to keep them in service. The figures given in Parliament separate the registered fleet from the number fit for operation.

What it means

For commuters, the figures show that about 5,000 SLTB buses are available to carry passengers, against 7,130 on the books. The remaining vehicles of more than 2,000 cannot be used until they are repaired or replaced.

Passengers in the Western Province, which has by far the largest number of private buses, have the most private services to choose from, according to the province-wise count. Travellers on other routes may depend more on the SLTB, so the number of working state buses matters to them.

Anyone who wants to check a private bus route or permit can ask the National Transport Commission, which issues the permits.