Another phase of the distribution of new buses given to the Sri Lanka Transport Board under the Indian Line of Credit took place on 21.02.2023 at the premises of Lanka Ashok Leyland located in Panagoda, Homagama.

These new buses are to be distributed to all the depots in the island according to the concept of the Minister of Transport & Highways and Mass Media, Dr. BandulaGunawardena, to put 500 new buses into operation this year in order to strengthen the public transport in the rural areas of the country in coincidence with the 75th Independence Commemoration.

Accordingly, as the third phase of the program, 40 new buses were handed over to the SLTB depots at Ashok Leyland Institute premises, Athurugiriya, under the patronage of Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena.

Minister Dr. BandulaGunawardena said on this occasion that 165 buses received by the country under the Indian Line of Credit have been added for public transport in the country under 3 phases, and all 500 new buses will be put into operation before the next Sinhala-Hindu New Year festival.
The minister also stressed that these buses are given to the depots in order to strengthen the passenger transport operations on difficult roads covering all the provinces including the North and East of Sri Lanka, and added that the depots will be instructed through the chairpersons of the district coordination committees in the relevant areas to deploy these busses on the routes from which income can be earned to pay the loan installments.

State Minister Rohana Dissanayake, State Minister Chamara Sampath, State Minister JanakaVakkambura, Member of Parliament Rajika Wickramasinghe, Member of Parliament Gayashan Navananda, Member of Parliament Chinthaka Mayadunne, the SLTB Chairman, and representatives of the Ashok Leyland Company were present on this occasion.