The National Transport Commission (NTC) has fined 80 buses for overcharging passengers during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period, following a sweep of 680 vehicles between April 8 and 18.
Rohana Wattage, head of the commission’s Mobile Bus Inspection Unit, said the excess amounts collected from passengers were refunded on the spot and fines were imposed on the operators responsible. On April 18 alone, inspectors checked roughly 150 buses and found 12 had charged excessive fares.
Inspections have targeted major travel corridors, including the High-Level Road between Hanwella and Kalugala, where large numbers of passengers returning to Colombo after the holiday have complained about inflated tickets. The enforcement programme will continue until April 21 as commuters complete return journeys.
The fines mark the operational follow-through on the NTC’s 1955 hotline launched ahead of the festive season, which allowed passengers to report overcharging directly to inspectors. The commission had warned operators earlier this month that random checks would be carried out at terminals and along intercity routes throughout the holiday period.
Overcharging has been a persistent complaint on long-distance routes during Avurudu, when demand for seats surges. The Transport Ministry is separately investigating bus ticket scams and buses operating without permits flagged during the same period. Authorities said enforcement would extend until the final post-holiday return wave ends.
