Seven low-floor buses donated by Japan were formally handed over to the Sri Lankan Government on Wednesday, closing a grant process that began with Cabinet approval in May.
Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata presented the vehicles to Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake at the joint Sri Lanka Transport Board and Lanka Metro Transit depot at Thalangama, Battaramulla. The buses were donated jointly by the Government of Japan and the people of Yokohama City under the two countries’ development cooperation programme.
Where the buses go
The seven vehicles will be added to the state-run Metro Bus Service, which currently operates 10 buses in Colombo and its suburbs, Daily Mirror reported. Lanka Metro Transit plans to bring in a further 104 buses before the end of September, taking the fleet to 121.
That total holds only if the seven donated vehicles are counted alongside the 10 already running and the 104 still to arrive. Earlier reporting on the rollout, including the ministry’s own July announcement, put the September target at 122 buses. Neither figure has been reconciled by the ministry.
Daily Mirror also restated the company’s funding: Rs. 800 million allocated for the project this year and Rs. 267.5 million in equity capital in 2027 — the same split the Cabinet approved in August.
Accessibility
Low-floor buses remove the high steps found on conventional vehicles, making boarding easier for elderly passengers and people with limited mobility. NewsFirst said the design is intended to improve access and convenience for daily commuters.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rathnayake linked the donation to the Government’s record. “It has been two years since we took over this country as a government. The spirit of this government is to launch people-centric development and sustainable projects that benefit the common people,” he said.
Japanese Embassy officials, representatives of the Kaduwela Municipal Council and senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, the Department of Motor Traffic, the Road Development Authority, the Sri Lanka Transport Board, the National Transport Commission and Lanka Metro Transit attended.
The buses arrived at Hambantota Port in July. No outlet reported the routes they will run or the value of the donation.
