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Pvt. buses seek urgent NTC approval to hike fares for unvaccinated

03 Aug 2021

  • Virus could spread more rapidly if request is delayed, says LPBOA
  • Overcharging unvaccinated passengers will encourage inoculation
 BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) has called on the National Transport Commission (NTC) to grant immediate approval to charge 25% more than the normal bus fare for passengers over 30 years of age who have not received a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, claiming that there would otherwise be a higher risk of the virus spreading through public transport facilities. After about three months of public transport operations coming to a standstill, inter-provincial public transport resumed on Sunday (1), following the Government's decision to call all public servants back to regular service in adherence to health guidelines from Monday (2). LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne, when contacted by The Morning, said that with the increase in the number of Covid-19 patients reported daily, public transport services would have to be operated with serious consideration to the safety of passengers. Accordingly, the LPBOA had made a request to the NTC to charge 25% more than the normal fare for passengers over 30 years of age who have not received a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. “Those who have not received even a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine would have to be given one seat for transportation, which led to the proposal to charge 25% more than the normal fare,” Wijeratne explained. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (3), Wijeratne said that immediate approval should be granted to the said request since the Covid-19 pandemic could spread rapidly if it is delayed. "People who have not obtained the Covid-19 vaccines are more likely to obtain them when they are charged more for transportation. Also, the number of passengers travelling in buses will be limited to some extent through this," he further added. Although the LPBOA has now requested approval to charge 25% more than the normal bus fares from those who have not obtained Covid-19 vaccines, it had earlier proposed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that bus fares be doubled for unvaccinated passengers. Wijeratne told The Morning on 1 August that the LPBOA had requested the Government that they be allowed to charge double the fare for passengers who have not received even one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, due to the increased risk posed when transporting them. He also said that the LPBOA had requested the Government to ensure that all bus drivers and conductors are fully vaccinated by at least 15 August, adding that 90% have already received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Attempts to contact Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge and Transport Ministry Secretary Monti Ranatunga to inquire into the matter proved futile.  


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