SLA-imposed traffic restrictions hamper Jaffna bus service

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 November 2007, 17:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna has imposed new traffic restrictions covering key main roads in the peninsula to facilitate safe passage to SLA convoys, severely impacting revenues of the Northern Sri Lanka Transport Service (NSLTS), transportation officials in Jaffna said. SLA orders all public traffic to stand still, sometimes nearly for three hours, and stops all vehicular traffic in main arteries between Palaly, Jaffna and the Forward Defense Lines (FDLs) in Vadamaraadchy east during movement of convoys.

Jaffna-Palaali-K.K.S road, Jaffna-Point Pedro road and Jaffna-Kandy road are the main avenues to Jaffna town from the peripheries of the peninsula.

The NSLTS is forced to terminate services by 4:30 p.m daily, because the drivers, conductors and the public have to go home after their duty before the curfew comes into force at 9:00 p.m.

The SLA had already crippled the efficient transport service and slashed the income of the NSLTS by confiscating many buses meant for public transportation in Jaffna peninsula.

The number of buses available for use is limited and with the decrease in revenues, the economic viability of running the public transportation system has become doubtful, transportation officials said.