Sri Lankan hill capital to witness improved public transportation

The inauguration of construction work for a multimodal passenger transport terminal in Kandy took place recently under the patronage of several dignitaries and ministry officials.

With a population of over 21 million and fleet of nearly eight million vehicles causing frequent congestion on its roads, Sri Lanka is experiencing the difficulties of a developing country with limited space and poor infrastructure planning.


Speaking at a meeting following the inauguration ceremony, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka commented that these issues could be overcome by developing a common public transport system that is not limited to merely widening roads and building expressways.

He added that his ministry had initiated such developments under a strategic town development project.

The transport project in Kandy is estimated to cost Rs. 10,000 million and expected to be completed in the next two and a half years.

A terminal is planned to extend from near the Kandy main post office building up to the Girls’ High School premises – it is said to involve the construction of a bridge that would link the central bus station (Good Shed) in Kandy with William Gopallawa Mawatha.