The National Transport Commission has approved a 2.5% reduction in bus fares, effective from July 1, 2025, as part of the annual fare revision.
The decision follows a discussion held between the Ministry of Transport and representatives of bus associations, during which transport authorities announced the proposed fare adjustment. Although an initial 2% reduction had been communicated to the associations, the final approved rate stands at 2.5%.
According to the revised structure, fares for the first and second stages will remain unchanged, with the fare reduction applying only beyond those stages. This means passengers traveling longer distances will see a modest decrease in ticket prices.
However, the decision has been met with resistance from private bus operators. Gemunu Wijeratne, Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association, criticized the move, stating that neither passengers nor operators would see meaningful benefits from the marginal reduction. He noted that the fare reduction would amount to just one or two rupees in most cases.
Despite opposition, the fare revision will be implemented as scheduled on July 1.
