All 104 newly imported Metro buses will be deployed for passenger transport from September, Lanka Metro Transit (Pvt) Ltd Chairman U.P. Thilakaratne told NewsFirst on Friday.
Thilakaratne said the fleet will operate across seven route pairs: Millennium City to Colombo Fort, Makumbura to Battaramulla, Borella to Panadura, Battaramulla to Ekala, Makumbura to Colombo Fort, Panadura to Town Hall, and Ragama to Battaramulla. Borella is expected to function as the central hub for the majority of operations.
Four dedicated depots are being established to handle maintenance and operations, with construction expected to be completed by the first week of August. “The buses will be maintained at these dedicated maintenance centres. In line with our current plans, every bus will be washed and cleaned internally on a daily basis,” Thilakaratne said.
Cashless by design
The chairman said the buses are fully air-conditioned and built around digital ticketing. “These buses have also been digitised, and payments will be made entirely through digital platforms. That is the key difference between these buses and the conventional buses currently in operation,” he said.
Thilakaratne also outlined a planned “Park and Go” scheme allowing commuters to leave private vehicles at designated locations and complete their journey by Metro bus. A facility is planned for Panadura, while a similar operation is already running at Makumbura.
“The objective is to provide a cost-effective alternative for people who travel alone to Colombo for work. By parking their vehicles and using the Metro bus service, commuters can enjoy significant economic benefits,” he said.
The September target follows the agreement signed in May to import the 104 buses, which were sourced from FOTON International Corporation in China and scheduled to arrive by August. Metro Transit operates the Colombo-area urban services that sit outside the conventional Sri Lanka Transport Board depot network.
Source: NewsFirst.
