Category: Shipping and Transport

Traffic jams in and around Colombo are not just driving people insane with frustration; its costing the country a thumping Rs 20 bn a year.ldblquote The congestion cost in Sri Lanka is around Rs 20 bn a year and this is just a conservative estimate, dblquote Professor Amal Kumarage from the National Transport Commission (NTC) […]

Local transport authorities want to scrap the current system of private mass transport for a more service oriented and easy to monitor system. The National Transport Commission (NTC) says reliability of services of private buses has deteriorated, while idling buses, rivalry and accidents have increased.rn rnContrary to popular belief, even productivity in the private mass […]

Jet Airways Ltd., Indias second- biggest domestic airline by fleet size, said its in talks to sell a stake to potential investors to raise funds to expand.“We are talking to various investors,” Executive Director Saroj Datta said in a telephone interview in Mumbai. “No decision has been made yet,” he said, declining to elaborate.rn rnSingapore […]

SriLankan Airlines, which plans to add around half a dozen aircraft to its fleet over the next year, says subsidized carriers are dumping seats to the market.The airline CEO told the 9th LBR-LBO CEO forum the country should focus on a ldblquote managed open skies dblquote policy to make Sri Lanka an air hub instead […]

National carrier SriLankan Airlines threw the gauntlet at the hotel industry, saying it was ready to broad base into up-market leisure hotels if local industry didnt make a move on. ldblquote If you dont invest in the industry, this airline will, dblquote warned SriLankan Airlines CEO, Peter Hill addressing corporate heads at the ninth LBO-LBR […]

Open bids to be called for in June to build the Colombo-Katunayake Highway are on hold, as the government tries to jumpstart the process with former contractor Keagnam.rnrn rnPriority for the project has been shifted to lquote now rather than months down the line, with the new government halting two years of groundwork, to explore […]

Sri Lankas roads are crying out for some serious medicine, but the Highways Ministry is tending the road network with sticking plasters, since it cant afford surgery.Sri Lanka has an extensive road network of more than 90,000 km, but most of it is also over 50 years old.rn rnMaintenance and rehabilitation of these roads, and […]

Sri Lanka and Thailand have agreed to liberalise their air services by giving each other lquote fifth freedom rights for their respective designated carriers.Fifth freedom rights allows the designated carrier to land in a second country, pick up passengers, cargo and mail destined for a third country.rn rnldblquote Both sides agreed to give unlimited number […]

Sri Lankas mass transport system driven by private and public busses and vans are a public menace killing around 500 people on average every year.rn rnThe quality of service is also appalling overcrowding, arbitrary pricing and sudden changes of routes and strikes.rn rnThe action plan for land transport that was approved by Cabinet last Thursday […]

DHL said they would upgrade supply chain management in the Asia Pacific region to better service the garment trade.Guaranteed quotas for garment exports are due to expire at the end of the year and DHL says garment manufacturers will have to rely on faster delivery times to be competitive.rn rnApparels already account for around 50 […]

Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, rolled out its new global electronic ticketing system last week, ushering in coupon-free travel to and from Colombo and 26 other destinations throughout its global network. This will provide Emirates passengers travelling to and from Sri Lanka with a convenient, secure and paper-less ticket option for the first time.rn rnEmirates […]

The government component in the proposed Colombo South Harbour projects has propelled to about US$ 300 million from around US$ 220 million quoted earlier.The new Freedom Alliance Government is expected to start courting bilateral donors for the funds by June.rn rnThe additional costs are to cover reclamation work in the proposed port, space that will […]