President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the entire transport system must undergo a rapid transformation to establish a more efficient, safe and technologically advanced transport system, thereby providing the public with a dignified and reliable service.

The President conveyed this during a meeting held yesterday morning (12) at the Presidential Secretariat with officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development.

The President was briefed on the strategic plan prepared by the Ministry of Transport under five key pillars, economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, digital transformation, social equity and accessibility and safety and security aimed at revitalising the transport sector.

It was noted that, as a solution to the current severe traffic congestion in Colombo, the government plans to introduce the Lanka Metro Transit bus service. Under this project, the necessary infrastructure is currently being developed and the buses are expected to be brought to the country by August this year.

It was noted that the project is planned to be implemented as a pilot initiative along six main roads surrounding Colombo, with the programme initially starting from the Western Province and later extending to the Galle and Kandy districts. Over the next three years, it is expected to expand to cover eight major cities.

The pilot project is intended to reduce the number of private vehicles entering Colombo daily and encourage the public to shift towards using public transport. The President emphasised that identifying dedicated bus priority lanes and maintaining their efficiency is essential to the success of the initiative.

The President highlighted that, to provide the public with quality services, the fragmented existing bus services should be replaced with a system of transport companies operating under a cluster model. The President emphasised that "What individuals seek is the availability of quality transportation services; the manner in which these services are delivered is of minimal interest to them."

The President further noted that Sri Lanka does not have cities that were planned systematically from the outset, but rather cities that developed over time.

Therefore, transport management within the existing urban framework must be handled with great care. He observed that implementing the bus cluster system represents the most effective solution to this challenge.

Under this system, a company would be established to deploy buses and the President indicated that, should any issues regarding profitability arise, the government would have the capacity to provide support to the company. President Dissanayake further said that the importance of formal agreements both between the bus owners and the company and between the government and the bus company, to ensure uninterrupted service.

The President further noted that this approach would be far more practical than incurring the substantial costs of procuring new buses.

The President also highlighted the significance of designing Multi-modal Transport Hubs (MTH) around the railway network, integrating other modes of transport in a coordinated manner. Discussions were held regarding the modernisation of the Kelani Valley Railway line and plans to introduce an electronic system for the expressway network.

The President also placed special emphasis on the welfare of employees engaged in the transport sector. He stressed that service conditions should be structured to ensure that employees receive due respect and that their future security is safeguarded.

In particular, he highlighted the importance of providing formal appointment letters and ensuring systematic welfare services, especially for workers in the private sector.

Attention was also drawn to the existing situation regarding the on-site fine system and the demerit point system. Although driver licences have been issued with embedded chips over the past ten years, no technological software system had been developed to implement a proper demerit point mechanism, rendering the system largely ineffective. It was noted that the introduction of Gov.pay now provides the capability to rectify this system and a fully operational mechanism could be established within six to seven months.

A regulatory framework has been developed for three-wheeled vehicles, taxis and school vans, which is expected to be presented after consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

Attention was also drawn to issues arising with the ‘Sisu Sariya’ bus service. It was noted that the government allocated LKR 2,200 million for the programme in 2025, of which LKR 500 million remained unutilised. Discussions focused on ways to enhance the efficiency of the ‘Sisu Sariya’ programme and to expand it in a manner that delivers direct benefits to students.

The establishment of a National Centre for Transport Research and Development, bringing together all institutions within the transport sector under a single platform, was also discussed.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Senior Professor Kapila Perera, senior officials of the Ministry and heads and senior officers from institutions under the Ministry, including the Sri Lanka Railways Department, the Department of Motor Traffic, the National Transport Commission and the Sri Lanka Transport Board.