Sri Lanka to restructure public transport systems to minimise impact of fuel shortage

Battered by an unprecedented economic crisis, the Sri Lankan administration has now announced the restructuring of public transport. The move, announced by Transport and Economy Minister Bandula Gunawardena aims to make commoners' lives more accessible as the island continues to battle for fuel. Calling it the “most appropriate step” in the present times, he stated that residents are hit by obstacles. 

“The most appropriate step that can be taken as a public transport service is to reorganise, taking into account the need to meet daily requirements of home and obstacles that have befallen the education of children and the overall standard of living,” he said. 

Number of train services to be increased

According to a report by Colombo Times, the decision was made at a meeting held at Sir Lanka Railways headquarters. At the meeting, lawmakers paid special heed to find a solution to the country’s fuel shortage and minimising its impact on the daily lives of the people. In addition, to resolve the fuel scarcity in the country, he said that the number of trains currently running should be increased significantly. As per Gunawardena, it was the Railways and its trains that played a pivotal part during the transformation period of the country from a self-sustainable economy to an exporting plantation. 

Thousands of people waited in queues for cooking gas and petrol in Sri Lanka's commercial capital on Friday as residents tried to stock up on fuel, which is extremely short in supply in the country. People stood in queues as long as 1 km for days in the hope of procuring cooking gas even as fewer cylinders arrived in Colombo, a city of around 900,000 people.

Meanwhile, the island's economic crisis is only spiralling with each passing day. Last week, dozens of Sri Lankan residents were seen standing in long queues to buy fuel as the island continued to spiral into its worst economic crisis. Visuals shared on social media platforms show metres long line of residents standing with their automobiles - both two and four-wheelers - to fetch fuel in the Ranajayapuram village. The situation in the country took a grim turn earlier this year when the government announced a shortage of forex reserves and a subsequent inability to import essentials such as fuel and food. 

(Image: AP)