Sri Lanka, Aug. 27 -- Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and private bus operators in Sri Lanka began running on a single, combined timetable for long-distance routes.

The National Transport Commission (NTC) initiated this unified system from the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Stand in Colombo to streamline services, reduce passenger waiting times and eliminate route duplication.

The new schedule will operate out on key routes, including Colombo to Chilaw, Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Jaffna. Initially, the buses will operate on a common timetable from Jaffna to Colombo, Mannar to Colombo and Talaimannar to Colombo via the Puttalam approach, which is a main access road to Colombo.

The buses will start running at a specific time and reach thei...