With effect from yesterday (August 19), the recently introduced luxury shuttle service that carried passengers from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to the Multimodal Transport Centre (MMC) in Makumbura and the Colombo Fort Railway Station has been temporarily suspended.
“After just four days, a new, upscale airport shuttle service was cancelled.”
The relevant luxury bus service was launched on August 15, but that same day it was met with immediate opposition.In particular, on August 16, the Airport-Fort Bus Employees’ Union went on strike in opposition to the recently introduced upscale airport shuttle service.Furthermore, the union had also filed complaints with the Election Commission and the Ministry of Transportation and Highways.The taxi service associations of the BIA had also endorsed the protest initiatives.As a result, following just four days of operation, it has been decided to temporarily halt the “Airport Terminal Shuttle Service” in light of the concerns raised.
The ban on the luxury shuttle service is expected to be replaced with the allocation of ten union buses from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to the Colombo Fort Railway Station and the Multimodal Transport Centre (MMC) in Makumbura, according to Indika Gunasekara, President of the Airport-Fort Bus Employees’ Union.
