After 31 years, motor mechanics and technicians who have undergone training at the Moratuwa Germen Technical Training Institute would be recruited to fill the vacancies in Sri Lanka Transport Board.

Since 1978 the SLTB did not recruit those who passed out of the German Technical Training Institute due to mismanagement and lack of procedure and due to private bus companies. As the Moratuwa Germen Technical Training Institute was taken over by the Transport Ministry on October 3 2007, action has been taken to recruit all trainees to the SLTB on successful completion of their training course, the Transport Ministry said.

Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma told The Island that although there were around 1,900 motor mechanics and technicians in the SLTB, they were found to be unskilled. In 1978 the then politicians had appointed these persons to such positions and as a result the SLTB had no qualified motor mechanics and technicians to undertake major repairs.

He said that the Transport Ministry had formulated a policy to recruit all trainees after successful completion of their training at Moratuwa Germen Technical Training Institute and Ratmalana Railway Technical Training Institute to fill the vacancies in the SLTB and C.G.R.

" I will not allow any politician to interfere with the recruitment processes in the SLTB and CGR so long as I am the Transport Minister," he emphasized.