Passenger transport in Sri Lanka shifted from British double-decker buses to Indian Ashok Leyland and Tata buses in the 1960s. Until then, the backbone of Sri Lanka’s passenger transport system had been buses imported from Britain. In later years, Tata and Ashok Leyland buses from India became the backbone of the country’s passenger transport system.
When Ranil’s government came to power in 2002, a proposal was presented to once again import Duple Metsec buses from Britain. The government also agreed to modernise Sri Lanka’s bus stands. Although Ranil’s government initially responded positively to the proposal, it later became reluctant to import British buses for fear of angering India. During Mahinda’s government as well, a proposal to import Volvo buses to Sri Lanka was presented to the Cabinet. Mahinda’s government was also reluctant to upset India by creating difficulties for Tata and Ashok Leyland, which had become the backbone of Sri Lanka’s passenger transport system.
Anura’s government came to power in 2024, claiming that there was widespread corruption in the passenger transport sector. Soon after assuming office, the then Cabinet Spokesman, Vijitha Herath, in response to a journalist’s question, told the media that there had been massive corruption in the importation of 500 buses and that the story of a Rs. 3.1 billion bribe being paid to a minister’s residence was true.
In 2020, during Gotabaya’s government, a Cabinet paper was presented proposing the importation of 500 buses under a US$500 million Indian credit line. Later, in 2023, during Ranil’s government, the media reported that the tender to import 500 buses to Sri Lanka had been awarded to India’s Ashok Leyland. The buses were to be imported under a credit line provided by the Export-Import Bank of India. At the ceremony to hand over the first 50 buses to Sri Lanka, then President Ranil and the then Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, were present. Ranil, Baglay, and Transport Minister Bandula joined the inaugural journey by riding in one of the buses.
It is not known whether Vijitha Herath was referring to this as the alleged fraud involving the purchase of the 500 buses. However, the new government’s Transport Minister, Bimal Rathnayake, presented a Cabinet paper proposing the importation of Foton Metro buses manufactured in China. A few days ago, Sri Lanka took delivery of the first 104 Foton Metro buses. The Transport Minister and the government plan to expand the use of Foton Metro buses across Sri Lanka by 2029 and bring about a revolution in the country’s passenger transport system. The intention is also to encourage Sri Lanka’s private passenger transport sector to purchase these buses. Sri Lanka’s shift from a passenger transport system dominated by Indian buses to one increasingly using Chinese buses represents a geopolitical shift.
