By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Inter Provincial Private Bus Association (IPPBA) had decided to reduce bus fares and bring the minimum fare down to Rs. 25 following the drop in the price of auto diesel on Monday (30) night, IPPBA General Secretary, Anjana Priyanjith told the media yesterday.
Priyanjith said that the price of auto diesel had been reduced by Rs 24 on Monday. Last month, diesel price had been reduced by Rs 10.
“The price of auto diesel has been reduced by Rs 34 in five weeks. We therefore decided to reduce bus fares by four percent.”
However, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said that he needed to talk to his members before deciding on a bus fare reduction.
“The bus fare should go down only if the price of diesel drops by four percent. A 24 rupee reduction is about 3.5 percent,” he said.
When he was asked whether the 10-rupee reduction given during the last fuel price revision, too, should be factored in, Wijeratne said his Association might ultimately decide to reduce bus fares.
