Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-02-23

Amendment of Section 40(e) of the National Transport Commission Act, No.37 of 1991

- As per the provisions of the above Act, the National Transport Commission issues passenger service permits for deploying buses in the inter-provincial routes, by calling applications under competitive bids after publishing advertisements in the national newspapers. However, it has been reported that a large number of buses are driven in inter provincial routes, without the possession of valid passenger service permits and this situation is detrimental to the passenger transport bus service as well as the passengers. Therefore, with a view to establishing a qualitative bus service by freeing the passengers out of this adverse situation, the proposal made by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to amend the Section 40(e) of the National Transport Commission Act, No.37 of 1991 to increase the existing maximum fine of Rs.10,000/- which could be imposed by a Magistrate's Court, against the persons who drive buses without having any passenger service permits, up to Rs.200,000/-, was approved by the Cabinet.