Bus drivers required to comply with volume-control regulations by 15 Jan.

All bus drivers will be required to comply with recent regulations on volume-control and a Government-sanctioned playlist by 15 January, the Passenger Transport Management Ministry said in a statement yesterday.

According to the statement, Passenger Transport Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said these regulations were introduced in response to a multitude of complaints from passengers. He added that while the regulations were not to be enforced by law, drivers would be required to adhere to them. Amaraweera made these comments while at a ceremony held on 31 December at the Kottawa-Makumbura Multimodal Transport Hub, during which he distributed CDs containing the Government-approved playlist to bus owners and drivers in the area. “We have begun the process of streamlining our transport services,” Amaraweera said, adding that discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa revealed there would be no place for corruption, bribery, or fraud in transport services.

The Minister also stated that the 15 January deadline was given taking into consideration the time required to distribute the playlists prepared by the National Transport Commission.