Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that Cabinet approval has been granted to increase bus fares by 12.19%, effective from midnight yesterday (23). Accordingly, the minimum bus fare, which was Rs. 27, has been increased to Rs. 30, while the maximum fare of Rs. 2,159 has been increased by Rs. 263 to Rs. 2,422.

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has instructed both the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and private bus operators to charge only the stipulated fare from passengers. The NTC further informed the public that legal action will be taken against those charging fares exceeding the set rates and requested passengers to lodge complaints regarding overcharging via the hotline 1955 or the WhatsApp number 0712595555.