Written by Jiffry• August 1, 2026• 12:34 pm• Current Affairs • Views: 14

Metro bus service set to begin by the end of August: Transport Minister

More Metro buses are expected to enter service by the end of August as the Government prepares to expand the network beyond Colombo later this year.

Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake said the Government has secured 121 Metro buses from China and several other countries. The buses are now undergoing registration and other legal formalities before they begin operating.

He said the new fleet is expected to enter public service by the end of August once the required procedures are completed.

The Government has also identified several new Metro bus routes. Details are expected to be announced in the coming days.

Expansion planned beyond Colombo

Rathnayake said another 50 buses from Japan are expected to arrive before the end of the year. Their arrival will support the next phase of the Metro bus programme.

He said the Government plans to launch Metro bus services in Jaffna and Kandy before the end of the year. Metro depots will also be established in both districts to support the expanded operations.

According to the Minister, the long-term goal is to encourage more people to use public transport instead of private vehicles. The Government expects this to help reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and environmental pollution.

Future Metro buses will also provide passenger information in Sinhala, Tamil and English. The Government aims to expand the Metro fleet to more than 500 buses by 2030.