Elephant House joins NTC in improving bus commuter facilities

An initiative by Sri Lanka’s National Transport Commission (NTC) has already started upgrading existing bus stopping facilities, most recently in Ambalangoda and Balapitiya, as its first phase which will encompass the country’s main Galle Road.

Upgraded facilities include new cafeterias that are more hygienic with lower priced meals and friendly staff as well as more sanitary restrooms. Further, services specific to clergy, pregnant mothers and parents of infant children had also been added.

In addition, this NTC program, supported by top local consumer foods brand Elephant House, would eventually also result in the building of new, officially assigned bus stopping facilities for long distance commuters across all of the country’s main bus routes.

Sri Lanka’s Private Transport Services Minister C.B. Ratnayake said: “The main reason for this initiative was because of the complaints received by the NTC from long distance passengers stating that current facilities for long distance passengers served meals which were priced too high while also being unhygienic and unsanitary, with unfriendly service as well.”

He also added that these officially assigned, privately-run NTC bus stopping facilities would provide hygienic and fresh meals at reasonable rates, friendly staff, plenty of space to dine, separate dining and sanitary facilities for clergy, restrooms for pregnant mothers, and mothers with infants for breast feeding, and parking facilities for buses and quality sanitary facilities as key features.

Meanwhile, Jit Gunaratne, President of the Consumer Foods Group of John Keells Holdings, Elephant House’s parent company, noted; “We are committed in continuing to support this NTC initiative as it is extended island-wide. It will not only vastly improve the lives of thousands of ordinary Sri Lankans, but also, thanks to the personal commitment of Minister Ratnayake, it will allow a high and hygienic standard to be maintained while affordable food and rest options to weary long distance bus commuters. This is vitally important because a majority of people in Sri Lanka have to, by necessity; undertake very long and crowded bus commute almost everyday, since this form of transport continues to remain the cornerstone of trade amongst cities, towns and villages.”