Dec 29, Colombo: The government is likely to postpone implementing joint timetables for state owned Sri Lanka Transport Board buses and private buses.

The join timetables are scheduled to be operational from January 01 but the transport sector trade unions and officials of the Sri Lanka Transport Board have protested the move.

The trade unions of the Sri Lanka Transport Board have warned to launch a strike if the join timetables are enforced on them.

Sri Lanka Minister of Private Passenger Services C.B. Rathnayaka says that around 25,000 private buses and less than 7,000 buses of state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board will commence joint operations from January 01.

The Minister rejected the allegations that the combined service would be a loss to the SLTB. He pointed out that the quota given for SLTB is 40 percent despite the number of SLTB buses in operation is less than 30 percent.

Bus services in around 70 percent routes have been combined already, the Minister stated.

Different running schedules of the SLTB and private buses are alleged of causing difficulties to the passengers due to slower, or over speeding and reckless driving. In addition they start from different terminals as well.