Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.) and Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake inspected the recently reopened Pettah Central Bus Stand in Colombo on Friday, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Colombo terminal, one of the country’s busiest public transport hubs, was reopened following extensive renovation and refurbishment carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force. The multi-million-rupee project was implemented under the government’s “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, with the stated objective of improving quality, safety and efficiency of public transport infrastructure.
During the visit, the Minister and the Defence Secretary inspected the facility and reviewed its services and operational arrangements. The subsequent discussion focused on maintenance, operational management, ongoing development activities, security and safety, and day-to-day challenges of running the bus terminal. Participants also reviewed practical measures to improve passenger convenience, traffic flow, cleanliness and overall operational efficiency, the statement added.
Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, officials of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), senior officers of the Air Force and Police, and representatives of other stakeholder agencies attended the inspection. The deployment of SLAF engineering capacity on a civilian transport hub continues the pattern set under the President’s review of the Clean Sri Lanka 2026 action plan.
Pettah has been the focal point of several recent governance threads, from a pre-Avurudu shopper slowdown attributed to cost of living to a CAA seizure of Rs.10 million worth of counterfeit cosmetics and the arrest in Kelaniya of a suspect for vandalising the bus stand ahead of the reopening.
Source: Ada Derana.
