COLOMBO : A pilot low-floor bus service aimed at providing priority access for persons with disabilities and special needs was launched on Tuesday, April (21) at the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre.
The initiative, introduced under the patronage of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake, is being implemented under the Clean Sri Lanka Programme.
A total of 10 specially designed low-floor buses have been deployed under the pilot phase, enabling easy access for wheelchair users, visually impaired individuals, pregnant women, and other passengers with special needs. Each bus is equipped with around 30 passenger seats, including designated spaces for wheelchair users.
The service will operate on routes from Makumbura to Colombo Fort and from Makumbura to Kadawatha, covering key healthcare facilities such as the National Hospital of Sri Lanka and the Apeksha Hospital Maharagama.
Speaking at the event, Minister Rathnayake stated that plans are underway to deploy a total of 122 such buses by the end of this year. He added that the service is expected to be expanded to other major cities including Kandy, Matara, Batticaloa, and Jaffna.
During the launch, the “LMT GO” mobile application was also introduced to help passengers easily access information related to the bus service.
