Feb 05, Colombo: The Government of India has provided 500 buses to Sri Lanka in parallel to the 75th Independence Day celebration to uplift the public transport service in rural areas across the country.

Out of the 500 buses supplied under an Indian credit line for public transport Island wide, a token of another 50 buses were handed over to President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat premises this morning (05).

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay handed over the documents of the buses over to the President.

The President inspected two of the buses after declaring them open, President’s Media Division said.

Another fleet of 40 buses have been directed to the registration and hence 165 buses have already been provided out of the 500 buses that are to be provided as per the request made by Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena from the Indian Government.

The project is to be completed by March 2023.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed to direct these buses to all Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus depots island wide to uplift the public transport service in rural areas across the country.

Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardena, State Minister of Transport Lasantha Alagiyawanna, State Minister of Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama, MP Rajika Wickramasinghe, MP Muditha Prishanthi, First Secretary of Indian High Commission Irina Thakur, SLTB Chairman, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, CEO of Lanka Ashok Leyland Umesh Gautam were also present at the occasion.