Long-distance bus online booking Rs. 30

Long-distance passengers will in the future be required to pay only a nominal fee of around Rs. 30 when reserving seats through the online booking system, Transport and Highways Minister Bimal Rathnayake has announced.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Ministry on Monday (4) to raise awareness on the online seat reservation system for long-distance travel, he said that the initiative was launched as a pilot project with private bus operators. He said the system allows passengers to check bus schedules in advance and arrive at bus stops accordingly. It is also expected to address several issues in the current reservation process, including the loss of reserved seats, the sudden cancellation of bus services, and high reservation charges. 

At present, passengers reportedly pay between Rs. 200 and Rs. 300 to reserve a seat in some instances. Under the new arrangement, this cost will be significantly reduced to around Rs. 30.

Online seat reservations can be made via www.busticket.gov.lk, through the hotline 011-2001266, or using the KIOSK machines installed at the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre.

Source - The Morning