Sri Lanka Police have opened a full investigation into what they describe as an organised campaign of deliberate collisions and vandalism against the state-run Metro bus service, and several bus drivers and vehicle owners have already been arrested, Daily Mirror and Hiru News reported on Friday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police W.P.J. Senadheera, who heads the Traffic Control and Road Safety Range, set out the allegations at a media briefing at the Maharagama Police Station. He said investigators suspect the incidents are part of a coordinated effort to disrupt the service and damage state property, and that the inquiry is proceeding on the orders of the Inspector General of Police.

What police allege

In several incidents, private buses were reversed into Metro buses deliberately, causing damage and interrupting services. Beyond the collisions, the DIG said Metro buses are in some places not being allowed to stop on the road to pick up passengers at all.

Police say licensing failures run through the cases. The driver involved in the collisions near Athurugiriya Millennium City and at Rajagiriya did not hold a passenger transport licence. In a separate incident, a driver was both under the influence of alcohol and driving without a licence.

The two newsrooms give overlapping but not identical lists of where incidents occurred. Daily Mirror names Homagama, Athurugiriya, Piliyandala, Rajagiriya and Borella, and places the drink-driving incident at Homagama. Hiru names Athurugiriya, Rajagiriya, Makumbura, Kesbewa, Borella and Kollupitiya, and places the drink-driving incident at Makumbura. Makumbura lies within the Homagama area and Kesbewa adjoins Piliyandala, so the accounts are closer than they appear, but this desk has not been able to reconcile them precisely.

Daily Mirror reports that several suspects, including drivers and vehicle owners, have been arrested and are due to be produced in court. Hiru’s account does not mention arrests.

The charges being considered

Police have warned that action will be taken under criminal law, the Offences Against Public Property Act and Motor Traffic regulations — against drivers, vehicle owners, and anyone suspected of assisting or organising the incidents.

Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake told reporters separately that private operators who attack Metro buses could face public property charges. He said around 100 Metro buses are currently running and that the majority of private bus operators had caused no obstruction — only a few were involved.

Rathnayake urged private operators to cooperate with the service, saying it would be opened to private sector participation within a year.

Context

The Metro service runs on seven routes and was expanded to ease congestion in and around Colombo — see our report on the 104-bus launch. Daily Mirror says it serves commuters from Makumbura, Kadawatha and Kottawa among other areas, and is designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. The low-floor buses carry “Inclusive Mobility Sri Lanka” branding.

Not reported

Neither filing says how many suspects have been arrested, how many separate incidents are under investigation, or what the total cost of the damage has been. No private bus operators’ association has been reported as responding to the allegations, and no outlet names any individual or organisation police believe is coordinating the incidents.

Sources: Daily Mirror — police probe, Hiru News, Daily Mirror — Minister on public property charges.