Category: Shipping and Transport

Aug 03, 2009 (LBO) – A professional body representing Sri Lanka’s transport and logistics sector said it plans to get industry professionals together to lobby for better connectivity and less red tape. “With the end of 30 years of turmoil we’re now in a position to contribute significantly to develop many areas affected by war.” […]

Aug 02, 2009 (LBO) – The recession that triggered a steep slump in shipping may throw up opportunities for Sri Lanka’s Colombo port, a senior official of a company that has bid for a terminal in the harbour said. Dr Parakrama Dissanayake, chairman, Aitken Spence Maritime, part of the Aitken Spence conglomerate, said the recession […]

July 30, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan authorities have begun evaluating the financial proposal of the sole bid by China Merchant Holdings and Aitken Spence for a new container terminal in Colombo port, officials involved with the project said.The new port, which has been delayed for years, is needed urgently to cater to the bigger […]

July 27, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s railway needs to raise fares and train travellers must be prepared to pay more to reduce losses and make the state-owned service viable, experts said.This would ensure enough traffic so the train services could be run profitably, perhaps with private sector investment. The same approach could be followed […]

July 26, 2009 (LBO) – Too many transport ministries and agencies which do not co-ordinate effectively has resulted in poor transport service in Sri Lanka and delayed its aim of becoming a hub, an expert said. There were also high levels of exclusion between different modes – land, water, air – with three ministries involved. […]

July 24, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to propose reviving ferry services and a railway link with India, across the Palk Straits, at a conference of south Asian transport ministers in Colombo, the island’s transport ministry said.The two proposals will be put forward by the government during a meeting of transport ministers of the […]

July 24, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s draft national transport policy came in for strong criticism at a public forum by experts who said it ignored important modes of private transport and private sector investment. Rohan Samarajiva, head of LirneAsia, a regional think tank, said the policy was also silent on opportunities in rebuilding transport […]

July 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka faces a shortage of skilled people in the logistics industry with traditional preferences for other occupations deterring youth from making the sector a career choice, an official said. “There’s a serious shortage of skilled people in the logistics industry,” said Rohan Masakorala, director of the Academy of International […]

July 22, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has drawn up plans to rebuild shattered road networks in the north and east costing over 750 million dollars for which it is seeking foreign funding, a senior government official said.The projects include highways linking the northern Jaffna peninsula with the south, two circular roads around the peninsula […]

July 20, 2009 (LBO) – Better transport infrastructure and services linking northern Sri Lanka with the south would help to bridge the ethnic divide after the end of the war, transport experts said.Had such links existed before the conflict began 30 years ago, they might have helped prevent the war by Tamil Tigers for a […]

July 20, 2009 (LBO) – A Colombo port container terminal in which Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings has a big stake said its volumes hit a record monthly high in June 2009, although it was mostly low-margin transhipment traffic. “JKH management stated that it did not expect the loss of business from APL to significantly […]

July 17, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s private sector has been told a host of investment opportunities have emerged in rebuilding transport infrastucture in the north and east, much of which was destroyed or neglected owing to war.Transport specialist Rohan Abeywickrema said there were opportunities to create facilities to link farmers and factories in the […]