A private bus that dropped passengers midway and subsequently transported employees of a private company has been suspended from service for three days. Additionally, the conductor of the said bus has been suspended from duty for five days, according to the Chairman of the Northern Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority, Eng. S. Vimaleswaran.
This decisive action was taken based on a complaint lodged by a passenger.
On 14 March 2026, passengers traveling on a private bus were asked to disembark midway by the conductor, who claimed that the bus had broken down. However, shortly afterward, it was observed that the same bus was used to transport employees of another private company (a Garment factory). The affected passenger submitted a complaint to the Road Passenger Transport Authority along with supporting evidence.
Following this complaint, the Northern Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority summoned the route permit holder of the private bus and conducted an inquiry. During the investigation, it was confirmed that the bus had indeed gone for repairs and later proceeded to transport garment factory employees.
Nevertheless, due to the irresponsible act of inconveniencing passengers and forcing them to disembark midway, the private bus has been suspended from service for three days. Furthermore, the conductor has been suspended for five days for failing to provide proper responses to passengers who questioned the situation and for engaging in inappropriate conduct. The Authority has also obtained a written assurance from the conductor that such misconduct will not be repeated in the future.
The Road Passenger Transport Authority has been established to ensure safe and quality transportation services. Therefore, the Chairman has urged the public to report any such inconveniences, violations, or irregularities encountered during public transport, without hesitation, by sending evidence (photos or videos) to the WhatsApp complaint number 071 9090900.
