COLOMBO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Transport Minister Arjuna Ranatunga announced to deploy nine new luxury buses purchased from China to Sri Lanka's Transport Board (SLTB) to upgrade the country's public transportation sector, local media reports said here Friday.
In a ceremony held here on Thursday, Wickremesinghe and Ranatunga deployed the nine buses which was manufactured by China's "King Long" company to the transportation sector in order to provide safe and secure journeys for the millions of people using public transport daily.
The buses will be deployed in regional depots.
According to the Transport Ministry, the King Long buses have already been deployed in many European countries and this is the first time in Sri Lanka such buses have been deployed.
The ministry said the buses are equipped with CCTV cameras and can be tracked through the GPS system. The buses also have upgraded security features.
The ministry said it plans to add 2000 new buses to the SLTB fleet to strengthen the state bus service in the coming months.
Sri Lanka is looking to boost its public transport infrastructure, particularly in Colombo, amid rising tourist numbers and increased road congestion.
In a recent government survey, it is estimated that by 2030, more than 60 percent of the Sri Lankan people will depend on the public transport to travel to capital Colombo.
