Loss-making operations at several Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depots are driven largely by their rural location and the resulting low number of daily bus services, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena told Parliament on Wednesday, Ada Derana reported.
Gunasena said the SLTB bus fleet’s deteriorating condition was a parallel pressure on the board’s finances, with frequent repair and maintenance requirements placing a “significant financial burden” on the operator. Many depots in the Uva, North Central and Eastern provinces run thin schedules across long routes with low average daily ridership, creating revenue gaps the board has been unable to bridge through cross-subsidisation from busier corridors.
On staffing, the deputy minister presented an updated vacancy count. As of January 31, 2026, the board had 1,034 driver vacancies, 1,022 conductor vacancies, 429 technical-officer vacancies and 59 workshop-supervisor vacancies, he said. By June 10, intensified recruitment had narrowed driver vacancies to 647 and conductor vacancies to 770, although technical-officer and workshop-supervisor numbers were unchanged. The minister did not give a timeline for filling the remaining specialist roles.
The disclosure comes against the backdrop of the SLTB’s wider crackdown on conductor fraud and the ministry’s broader restructuring agenda under Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake. SLTB has previously sought to replace older buses with newer rolling stock under bilateral and multilateral financing lines, including Russian and Chinese supply discussions, but no large procurement has yet been completed.
Gunasena said the ministry was studying options to consolidate underperforming depots and re-route services through shared hub-and-spoke arrangements while retaining rural coverage. He did not commit to a specific consolidation plan.
Sources: Ada Derana — Rural depots, ageing fleet driving SLTB losses.
