Ceylon Today Editorial

Extortionists rule private bus services 

Saturday 07th November 2015

 
Ransoms that amount to a staggering Rs 170 million per mensem is extorted from private bus owners on a monthly basis due to the negligence of the current Yahapalana Government. President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association Gemunu Wijeratne making this jolting expose recently revealed that certain individuals extort money from bus owners on a daily basis and the private bus owners face a loss of more than Rs 170 million every month. His revelations exposed that these shady characters, who operate with the knowledge of the time schedulers and the National Transport Commission of Sri Lanka, take ransoms of Rs 100, 200 and 500 or even more from some bus drivers and conductors when they return from trips.

An extortion culprit never practises his dirty work at home. The extortion ring that operates inside the transport sector of this country is completely different. Although it may have its external influences, this extortion is mostly carried out by the individuals who are involved in the sector. This is made apparent after the revelations made by Gemunu Wijeratne when he said that those at the Sri Lanka National Transport Commission and the several other State officials condone these extortionists conducting their dirty work on a regular basis.

Last year, it was reported that the daily income of the private bus owners registered under the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association had decreased by 50 per cent in addition to the money lost to extortion and embezzlement. According to Wijeratne, the private bus industry is on the verge of collapse due to this bribery and corruption that has swollen in the industry. According to him, a large number of route permits are issued annually without adhering to rules and regulations. These route permits were issued to buses in routes which already have enough buses. Also there is a bus surplus; buses are not distributed properly among routes, resulting in passengers having to face inconveniences.

Bus owners pay 25% of their revenue as ransom daily. However, this is not a new problem. The extortion ring, in the bus industry and the transport sector in Sri Lanka, has been there since the private bus system was introduced by the 1977 UNP Government and will continue to thrive if proper attention is not given to it. Although Trade Union organizations such as this Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association have made thousands and thousands of clarion calls and cries, all that has fallen on deaf ears. When there are allegations of corruption against the National Transport Commission of Sri Lanka, which is supposed to regulate the activities of the private bus industry and act as an independent regulatory body, from where can the justice be meted out?

Despite the complaints lodged at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, no action has been taken, as of yet, to crack down on this extortion ring that is cementing its regime in the country's private bus industry with each passing day. If not properly attended, this viral infection will spread to other sectors of the country's transport. The State cannot turn a blind eye anymore to this matter.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Yahapalana Government continues to boast that there is good governance and rule of law in the country. Is the government hell bent on only resolving the large scale corruption cases of the previous administration? Doesn't the government consider the case involving a sum as large as Rs 170 million as being large enough to be considered as a large scale corruption case?

Sometimes, the smallest criminal case has to be solved and justice has to be sought before putting the bigger monsters to bed. Yes, the government may perhaps be keeping its promises, but that should not be at the cost of ignoring these cases of extortion and ransom. The devil lies in the details and the most minor of crimes has the potential of turning into a full blown mayhem with given time and opportunity.

We do not criticize the government for favouring corruption cases that would grab the attention of certain sections of the general public. But we do however criticize it for ignoring the other part of the general public who is still wallowing in the swamp of tar black corruption.