Private bus fares will not be reduced for the next six months even if diesel prices fall in upcoming monthly revisions, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said on Sunday, citing what he described as a severe financial crisis in the industry.
Wijeratne said the annual bus fare revision, normally implemented on July 1 each year, is now expected to take effect on July 3 after consultations with other bus associations. The adjustment is being considered in line with the monthly fuel price formula that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation now operates under, but operators want the revision to lock in their current cost structure rather than to follow diesel down.
“Even if diesel prices are reduced, we will not reduce bus fares for six months because the industry is in a serious crisis,” Wijeratne told reporters. “From June 1 to the end of June alone, we have incurred losses of around Rs. 600 million. We are saying this revision must be adjusted. If necessary, they can take us to court. There is no policy that states bus fares must be reduced when diesel prices are reduced.”
The LPBOA’s stance directly counters expectations that the August–September window the government has signalled for fuel-subsidy roll-back would translate into lower fares for commuters. The June revision the LPBOA had earlier flagged as a possible 20 per cent hike is now being framed as a one-way ratchet — locked at its higher level for six months regardless of how the CPC’s monthly formula moves.
The position sets up a confrontation with the National Transport Commission, which sets the official fare formula, and with consumer groups that have argued for symmetric pass-through. Wijeratne did not specify what relief he would accept in exchange for an earlier review, but said the July 3 date and the wider revision structure remained open until the formal announcement.
