PARLIAMENT

Hon. Sujeewa Dissanayake,—To ask the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation,— (1)

(a) Will he accept that —

(i) the bus owners holding route permits issued by the National Transport Commission who sold their unroadworthy buses during the period when import of vehicles into Sri Lanka had been suspended, had to wait until the import of buses recommenced in order to purchase a new bus;

(ii) during the abovementioned period, the bus owners concerned had surrendered their route permits to the said Commission;

(iii) when new buses are put into operation after the import of buses has recommenced, the Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority charges an outstanding fee for issuing ‘chart sheets’ even for the period during which the buses were not in operation;

(iv) it was not possible for the bus owners to put new buses into operation, as they were unable to purchase buses during the period when import of buses were suspended; and

(v) ​​it is therefore unfair to charge an outstanding fee for the period during which buses were not operated when issuing ‘chart sheets’ for the new buses?

(b) If so, will he inform this House of the solution that will be given in this regard?

(c) If not, why?