Two hundred buses that were not in running condition were repaired and put into service to strengthen the bus fleet of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) at a ceremony held under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
This follows a concept of Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena.
Eight hundred and fifty two buses were languishing at SLTB depots in January, 2023 and the engineers and technicians of 11 local workstations and 107 SLTB depots across the island began to restore these buses.
One hundred and ninety three buses were repaired under the first phase of the bus renovation project, which was started in 2023 at a cost Rs.193 million. Two hundred and one buses were repaired at a cost of Rs.270 million under the second phase..
If 200 new buses are purchased, nearly Rs. 4,200 million has to be spent at the prevailing prices.
The SLTB could earn a daily income of Rs.10 million by using these buses on a daily basis.
Its net profit is Rs. 4 million. By running these 200 buses, it is possible to get a maximum net profit of Rs. 1,200 million and a minimum net profit of Rs. 900 million annually.
