With each passing day, the bitter impact of the economic crisis is becoming more apparent and intense, and the people are wondering when they will see an end to the prevailing era of queues.
During the past two days, fuel queues grew even longer, leaving people waiting indefinitely to obtain fuel. The country’s transport sector, already limited to the bare minimum due to the fuel shortage, was among the first in line to be affected by the lengthened queues.
The fuel crisis’s impact on the transport sector is becoming unmanageable. According to private bus owners, only 20% of private buses are running at the moment. To make matters worse, in a context where railway trade unions claim that train passengers have increased by around 50% owing to the fuel shortage, the Railways Department remains hopeful of a fare hike to balance costs and revenue, while three-wheelers, the most commonly used mode of private transport, has become an extremely limited service, as three-wheeler drivers have had to spend days in fuel queues.
This is in a context where Minister of Transport Dr. Bandula Gunawardana has said that new trains and school buses would be added to the existing fleet, while it was also announced that several steps would be taken to make the bus service more efficient, especially for office-goers. However, there is a question as to whether Sri Lanka should merely resort to adding new vehicles to these fleets, most of which have to be imported, amidst an economic crisis.
For a long time, railway and bus service officials have complained about the Government not paying adequate attention to repairing and using buses and train engines and carriages that have been abandoned, mostly due to the lack of spare parts. However, the lack of willingness to use the available resources to the fullest is a bigger issue. Most of the time, Sri Lanka resorts to importing new vehicles, which, according to some high-ranking officials and trade unions in the public transport sector, is driven by some authorities’ greed for commissions. According to some officials, Sri Lanka has around 90 trains that have not been used since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lands owned by the Railways Department, which are mostly used to store unused train compartments, are another concern. According to officials who have knowledge about these lands, some of these lands can be converted into a source of income by leasing them out.
If the authorities take steps to tap into these unutilised resources, perhaps, a fare hike would not be necessary. Instead of increasing fares to cover losses, perhaps, this is a time that the authorities should look into offsetting losses by making income through all available resources.
When it comes to the bus service, it is also facing a number of challenges which can be alleviated if the authorities become a little more innovative and receptive to new suggestions. The main issue the bus service is facing is the fuel shortage. Even though the Government has stated that private bus drivers can obtain fuel from Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots, private bus owners claim the opposite. In addition, their situation has become more challenging due to irregularities at standard filling stations, some of which, according to private bus trade unions, demand bribes to provide fuel. If private buses, which are essential to the country’s workforce, cannot even obtain the available fuel, that is a matter that should receive the Government’s prompt attention. Moreover, allowing private buses to obtain services, such as repairs, through SLTB-run service providers would be immensely beneficial.
The three-wheeler service is the other economical transport method that should receive the Government’s attention, as it is an essential service for a large segment of the country’s workforce, including those working in essential services. While providing fuel subsidies may not be an option given the current situation, the Government can look into introducing a programme to make it easier for three-wheelers to obtain fuel. It could be as simple as allocating certain fuel stations for three-wheelers, or all taxi services, or giving priority to three-wheelers after public transport and essential service providers.
This is not just a time that the Government should obtain adequate resources; this is also a time it should put the available resources to good use. Importing new vehicles should be the last option, considering the scarcity of funds, and repairable vehicles should be repaired and added to the fleet. In addition, in the coming few months, the public transport sector and taxi services should be given priority, which will in turn have a direct impact on the country’s production.Crisis transformation of transportation
17 Jun 2022
Crisis transformation of transportation
17 Jun 2022
With each passing day, the bitter impact of the economic crisis is becoming more apparent and intense, and the people are wondering when they will see an end to the prevailing era of queues.
During the past two days, fuel queues grew even longer, leaving people waiting indefinitely to obtain fuel. The country’s transport sector, already limited to the bare minimum due to the fuel shortage, was among the first in line to be affected by the lengthened queues.
The fuel crisis’s impact on the transport sector is becoming unmanageable. According to private bus owners, only 20% of private buses are running at the moment. To make matters worse, in a context where railway trade unions claim that train passengers have increased by around 50% owing to the fuel shortage, the Railways Department remains hopeful of a fare hike to balance costs and revenue, while three-wheelers, the most commonly used mode of private transport, has become an extremely limited service, as three-wheeler drivers have had to spend days in fuel queues.
This is in a context where Minister of Transport Dr. Bandula Gunawardana has said that new trains and school buses would be added to the existing fleet, while it was also announced that several steps would be taken to make the bus service more efficient, especially for office-goers. However, there is a question as to whether Sri Lanka should merely resort to adding new vehicles to these fleets, most of which have to be imported, amidst an economic crisis.
For a long time, railway and bus service officials have complained about the Government not paying adequate attention to repairing and using buses and train engines and carriages that have been abandoned, mostly due to the lack of spare parts. However, the lack of willingness to use the available resources to the fullest is a bigger issue. Most of the time, Sri Lanka resorts to importing new vehicles, which, according to some high-ranking officials and trade unions in the public transport sector, is driven by some authorities’ greed for commissions. According to some officials, Sri Lanka has around 90 trains that have not been used since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lands owned by the Railways Department, which are mostly used to store unused train compartments, are another concern. According to officials who have knowledge about these lands, some of these lands can be converted into a source of income by leasing them out.
If the authorities take steps to tap into these unutilised resources, perhaps, a fare hike would not be necessary. Instead of increasing fares to cover losses, perhaps, this is a time that the authorities should look into offsetting losses by making income through all available resources.
When it comes to the bus service, it is also facing a number of challenges which can be alleviated if the authorities become a little more innovative and receptive to new suggestions. The main issue the bus service is facing is the fuel shortage. Even though the Government has stated that private bus drivers can obtain fuel from Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots, private bus owners claim the opposite. In addition, their situation has become more challenging due to irregularities at standard filling stations, some of which, according to private bus trade unions, demand bribes to provide fuel. If private buses, which are essential to the country’s workforce, cannot even obtain the available fuel, that is a matter that should receive the Government’s prompt attention. Moreover, allowing private buses to obtain services, such as repairs, through SLTB-run service providers would be immensely beneficial.
The three-wheeler service is the other economical transport method that should receive the Government’s attention, as it is an essential service for a large segment of the country’s workforce, including those working in essential services. While providing fuel subsidies may not be an option given the current situation, the Government can look into introducing a programme to make it easier for three-wheelers to obtain fuel. It could be as simple as allocating certain fuel stations for three-wheelers, or all taxi services, or giving priority to three-wheelers after public transport and essential service providers.
This is not just a time that the Government should obtain adequate resources; this is also a time it should put the available resources to good use. Importing new vehicles should be the last option, considering the scarcity of funds, and repairable vehicles should be repaired and added to the fleet. In addition, in the coming few months, the public transport sector and taxi services should be given priority, which will in turn have a direct impact on the country’s production.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!