Bus & School Van Fares Frozen After the Fuel Hike — Who Eats the Loss?

Petrol went up Rs 10 and diesel Rs 5 on Nov 2, but the government is holding bus and school van fares flat because the increase didn't cross the 4% trigger built into the fare formula. Private bus owners say they're already losing around Rs 1,000 a day on short routes and Rs 2,000 on long ones, while school van operators say they won't pass the extra cost to parents. Three-wheeler drivers aren't waiting on any formula — one association wants the first-km rate pushed from Rs 110 to Rs 120. One side: a transport system running at a daily loss eventually cuts corners on maintenance, driver pay, or just vanishes from quieter routes — the formula should trigger sooner. The other side: parents and commuters are already stretched thin by fuel, food and loan payments, and a formula means nothing if it's ignored every time raising fares is politically awkward. If you take a bus, school van or tuk daily, has the service gotten worse since the last fuel hike? Should fare formulas be legally binding, or should ministers keep the final say? ඉන්ධන මිල ඉහළ ගියත් බස් සහ පාසල් වෑන් ගාස්තු ස්ථාවරයි - සාධාරණද?