Lanka Private Bus Owners Association Chairman Gemunu Wijerathne has revealed that around 25 percent of the country’s private bus fleet had been operating using kerosene, describing the situation as a “tragic” and “illegal” practice within the sector.

Speaking to the media, Wijerathne said that while the association has been consistently demanding diesel allocations from the government, some bus owners had resorted to using kerosene intended for vulnerable communities.He stressed that operating passenger buses on kerosene amounts to a major environmental concern and an unacceptable deviation from proper fuel usage standards.Wijerathne further said that daily private bus operations have declined by nearly 25 percent following the recent increase in diesel prices.He said an annual bus fare revision is scheduled for July, based on 12 key economic indicators, but the association has requested an interim fare adjustment to sustain operations amid rising fuel costs.

“Although bus services in Colombo are still running, operations in rural areas have been severely affected. Long-distance services are now operating based on passenger availability, and nearly 50 percent of journeys have been suspended,” he added.