Bus routes 174 and 255 go on strike against road passenger transport authority

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Workers from the 174 bus route from Kottawa to Borella and the 255 bus route from Mount Lavinia to Kottawa have launched a strike in protest against the Road Passenger Transport Authority's decision to introduce a luxury bus service on the same routes.

The bus operators argue that the new luxury bus service will cause inconvenience to regular service buses operating on these routes, as they will have to compete with the lower fares offered by the luxury buses. However, the strike is not organized by the Bus Union, according to representatives from the union.

News 1st reached out to Ravindra Wettasinghe, the manager of the Borella regional office of the Road Passenger Transport Authority, to inquire in this regard. Wettasinghe confirmed that the strike was initiated by a group of bus operators who are protesting against the deployment of luxury buses on the affected routes. 

He further stated that he will hold discussions with the bus employees regarding their concerns.