Minister Bandula Gunawardena faced criticism from passengers aboard a bus, who asked him not to “put on a show” by inconveniencing the passengers. (19),
The National Transport Commission (NTC) launched a pilot project for an Electronic Card to replace bus tickets under the “E-ticketing concept.”
The relevant pilot project was carried out in buses travelling from the Makumbura Multimodal Center in Kottawa to Galle along the Southern Expressway, and the Minister of Transport also participated in its launch by boarding a bus.
When a group including the minister boarded the bus, passengers protested loudly because a senior couple had to get off the bus to make room for the Minister and his entourage.
The passengers claimed that the Minister’s actions were inconvenient because they, too, were in a hurry to get to their destinations.
The officials in the Minister’s entourage protested, claiming that they were on the bus for the pilot project, which was being carried out for the benefit of the people.
