Sri Lanka will launch a low-floor priority bus service as a pilot project from April 21, operating out of the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre under Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake.
The Rs. 430.7 million programme falls under the Clean Sri Lanka initiative and is the first organised accessible bus service of its kind in the country. Officials said the rollout is intended to give wheelchair users and differently abled passengers an equal-access public transport option.
In the first phase, 10 modern air-conditioned buses will be deployed with low-floor boarding, specialised safety features and a capacity of 80 passengers including 33 seated. The fleet will run on two corridors — Makumbura to Pettah and Makumbura to Kadawatha — at 40-minute intervals during morning and evening peak hours.
Route planning factored in disability access to major medical institutions. Services will cover the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital, the country’s dedicated oncology facility, and the National Hospital of Colombo, allowing patients and attendants to reach treatment without transferring between inaccessible services.
The pilot is the latest in a series of transport-sector initiatives rolled out by Rathnayake since post-Avurudu service restoration and signals a shift from Sri Lanka Transport Board’s traditional high-floor fleet. Officials said further fleet expansion and route additions will depend on pilot-phase performance.
