Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-11-22

Increasing the fine imposed against persons operating buses without valid passenger permits

- In order to enhance the quality of the passenger bus services and also to prevent people being subject to dangerous situations, a necessity has arisen to strengthen the existing laws against those who deploy buses without the valid passenger permits. Therefore, the Cabinet has granted approval to increase the minimum fine of Rs.10,000/- presently imposed by Magistrate Courts to Rs.200,000/- against those who operate bus services without a valid Passenger Transport Permit issued by the National Transport Commission. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to present the National Transport (Amendment) Act, amending section 40 of the National Transport Commission Act, No.37 of 1991 for this purpose, in Parliament, was approved by the Cabinet.