The Chairman of the Road Passenger Transport Authority, Gamini Jasinghe said that steps will be made to equip all private buses in Sri Lanka with GPS devices this year. He said that the installation of GPS devices on private buses operating in the Western Province is expected to be completed by March.
Jasinghe said the move comes in response to numerous complaints from passengers about buses not running on time and erratic driving, including buses traveling too slowly or too fast on certain routes. He noted that GPS devices will help monitor whether buses reach their destinations on schedule and improve overall passenger safety and convenience.
A pilot project has already been introduced for 101 buses operating on expressways from Kadawatha, which Jasinghe described as highly successful. Based on this, the plan is to expand GPS installation to all private buses across the country.
Currently, approximately 15,000 private buses operate in Sri Lanka. The initiative will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Transport, the Road Passenger Transport Authority, and the nine Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authorities.
Jasinghe added that discussions are ongoing regarding the IT systems to be used for the project, and consultations with provincial governors are being held for the preparation of relevant gazette notifications.
