BUS (Colombo)
BUS (Colombo)
BUS (Colombo) – buses are the main means of transportation within Colombo. There are buses provided by the state-run Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) (most of which are painted red) as well as the privately-owned ones. The typical bus fare tends to be around Rs. 50. The latter tend to be more uncomfortable than the public ones, since the private bus drivers try their best to squeeze in as many passengers as possible (to maximize profits). For that reason, tourists tend to shy away from this mode of transportation, and instead hire a car with a driver.
Another practical reason tourists shy away from buses is the country’s language barrier. One problem with Sri Lankan buses is the difficulty of finding the relevant service. Most timetables and signs are in Sinhala only, as are many of the destination boards displayed by buses – it’s useful to get an idea of the characters you’re looking for (see Sinhala place-names). All bus stations have one or more information booths (although they’re often not signposted) where staff can point you in the right direction, as well as providing latest timetable information.