“This is the main bus terminal in Sri Lanka. Approximately 2,000 bus journeys originate from here daily. The condition of this place is extremely poor; the public lacks basic facilities, with buses merely arriving and departing. Under the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ program, and with the support of the Ministry of Defense, we plan to renovate 50 major bus terminals across Sri Lanka. Furthermore, as a special gift from the SLTB to the public for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in 2026, we hope to provide them with the opportunity to travel to their hometowns from a new central bus terminal,” emphasized Bimal Ratnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation.
“ A Special plan from SLTB to passengers for 2026”
The Minister made these remarks yesterday (16) morning during an inspection tour of the Central Bus Terminal, which belongs to the Sri Lanka Transport Board. Following this inspection, a special discussion was held regarding the renovation of the bus terminal.
The Ministry of Defense and the Western Provincial Council have prepared and submitted plans for these renovation efforts. The Minister instructed that the most suitable plan be implemented and the renovations completed within approximately one year.
Further commenting, the Minister stated:
“It’s a great injustice that a place like this has been neglected for so many years. This neglect has created an environment where illegal activities can thrive. Therefore, we will work to transform this place into a pleasant environment within a maximum of one year.”
“We also plan to implement 85 special road safety regulations starting June 30. More than 1,000 drivers have received special training at road safety centres, and this training is ongoing. We are also working to integrate both SLTB and private bus drivers and conductors into a social security scheme, aiming to establish a pension system for them within about a year. Additionally, we will make tickets mandatory and embark on a program to merge SLTB and private bus operations on the Kandy and 138 routes to minimize road accidents,” he added. A large number of senior officials from the Western Provincial Council and the Urban Development Authority attended the event, including Defense Ministry Secretary Sampath Thuyyakontha and Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe.
Suranga Lakmal
