Srilanka, June 25 — The Cabinet has given the green light for the procurement of 200 new super luxury buses to strengthen expressway transport services under the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).
This move comes as nearly 52% of SLTB’s regular bus fleet and a staggering 94% of its luxury fleet have exceeded their economic lifespan, creating an urgent need to upgrade the system.
Due to a shortage of buses capable of meeting rising passenger demand on expressways, the SLTB has been operating 61 privately-owned luxury buses under a profit-sharing agreement.
To address the issue sustainably, the SLTB will now purchase 200 super luxury buses using its own funds.
Of these, 29 buses will be purchased outright by financially capable depots, while the remaining units will be acquired through an installment-based plan:
Initial payments will be made using SLTB’s internal funds.
The balance will be settled in monthly installments over five years, using revenue generated from operations.
The proposal, submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, was formally approved by the Cabinet.
