Metro buses on 7 routes in Western Province

A total of 112 newly introduced Metro buses were deployed along seven routes in the Western Province to reduce traffic congestion in Colombo and provide a more comfortable, safer public transport service.

The deployment took place at the Thalangama Metro Bus Depot under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s patronage.

The program to introduce a modern Metro Bus service was initiated as a proposal in the 2025 Budget, with an allocation of Rs. 3,000 million for the procurement of 100 comfortable low-floor buses to introduce a modern bus service to Sri Lanka’s public transport sector. Accordingly, Sri Lanka received 104 buses, and the Government of Japan provided eight buses, which were deployed into service.

The new buses will operate along seven routes centered on Colombo, with services being operated according to designated routes and timetables, enabling passengers to reach their destinations on schedule.

One of the main objectives of introducing the new bus service is to reduce the number of private vehicles entering Colombo, particularly vehicles carrying only a single passenger.

Lanka Metro Transit (Pvt) Ltd, established to turn this proposal into reality, has now progressed through the planning, procurement, infrastructure development, and trial-operation stages.

Accordingly, the initial Metro Bus route network has been finalized, comprising seven main routes with a total corridor length of approximately 188.7 km

The design of the fully digitalized system required for Metro Bus operations has also been completed, and the procurement process has commenced. The system is expected to support modern fleet management, passenger information, fare collection and operational monitoring.

Meanwhile, plans for the Metro Bus depots are complete, and the construction and infrastructure development program has begun. The Road Development Authority and the Colombo Municipal Council are also developing bus-stop facilities.

The project is scheduled to be implemented in the future with a focus on several major cities across the country.