Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-03-09

Issuance of Passenger Permits for the Expressway

- A Tender procedure to select bus operators, for the issuance of passenger permits in the expressway was introduced and under that procedure the permits were issued to the persons who have submitted the highest bid and therefore the ordinary bus owners were deprived of the opportunity of providing transport services in the expressway. Accordingly, an Officials' Committee was appointed by the Cabinet, to submit an alternative methodology for the purpose. On the recommendations of the said Committee, also with the approval of the Cabinet, the criterion to be followed in issuing passenger permits for the expressway and the marking scheme related thereto were implemented. As such, the proposal made by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to implement the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, appointed to submit recommendations for the introduction of a more transparent methodology, avoiding the shortcomings evident in the previous procedure, was approved by the Cabinet.