Madampe Police on Wednesday stopped a Kalpitiya–Colombo private bus after dashcam footage showing the vehicle dangerously overtaking another bus circulated on social media, taking the driver’s licence into custody and issuing him a temporary permit.
The driver was “severely warned” at the roadside before the bus was released to continue its journey, citing the large number of passengers on board, Newswire reported. He was instructed to appear at the Madampe Police Station later the same day and, on arrival, was referred to Chilaw Hospital for drug tests. Legal action has been initiated against him for reckless and illegal driving.
The bus has since been taken into police custody and is to be produced before the Puttalam Motor Traffic Inspector. The viral clip also shows three people, including a woman and a child on a motorcycle, sustaining minor injuries when a car swerved to avoid the speeding bus. No formal complaint has been lodged over those injuries.
The action comes a day after Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake’s drug-testing programme for bus drivers in Kadawatha found seven of 148 drivers tested positive, part of the broader Road Safety Plan introduced after a sharp increase in road fatalities. Same-day enforcement triggered by social-media footage marks one of the faster police responses recorded under the new framework.
