Accordingly 28 new route permits would be issued to the buses planning to ply between Maharagama and Matara, while 15 other new permits would be provided to buses operating between Matara and Kaduwela, NTC sources said.

Chairman of the NTC, Renuka Perera said that the issuance of passenger service route permits was done in accordance with a mechanism approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Applications had been called from the owners of buses which operated between Matara and Colombo in route No 02 and 43 bus owners who had obtained the highest marks at an assessment conducted by the NTC were selected for the granting of new permits, Mr Perera said.

At the assessment, matters such as quality of services to commuters, the number of inter-provincial passenger transport permits and the seniority of route permits currently held by the bus owners had been taken into consideration, Mr Perera added. (Special Reporter)