Plans are underway by the Ministry of Transport to introduce an electronic card or QR code-enabled payment system for state-run buses to mitigate some Rs. 10 million in losses per day.
Minister of Transport Bandula Gunawardena informed Parliament yesterday (Jan 11), that the Transport Ministry has been working on introducing an electronic card or QR code system for commuters to pay for their tickets
Stating that the project is now in its final phase, the minister said that the new online payment system is being planned by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).
The day’s total earnings are not returned to the respective depots by some bus drivers or conductors. This results in a loss of around Rs. 100,000 a day per depot, the minister revealed.
Minister Gunawardena further said that the electronic card or QR code-enabled payment system will be introduced in about two months.
The initiative is part of the government’s digitalisation initiative announced for the SLTB in November 2023, to be implemented in 2024. (NewsWire)