Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma said he believed that the former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, who led the army to save the country from LTTE terrorism, will not join a political party whose leader betrayed the country when the critical fight against the Tigers was raging.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of 13 buses to the Kuliyapitiya depot, he said a number of people hd asked him whether the former Army Commander would contest the next President elections against President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He was of the view, he said, that a man of that calibre would not join an enemy who placed all obstacles and ridiculed the armed forces when the humanitarian operation was on.

When President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed duties there were only 2,700 CTB buses in operation through out the country, but now around 5,100 SLTB buses operated islandwide. Some people were passing sarcastic remarks at the SLTB. At the moment SLTB buses operated in competition with the private buses.

Minister Alahapperuma said it wa alleged, in the past, that a major part of the money earned by the SLTB was deposited in accounts of respective Ministers and Chairmen.

The National Transport Commission (NTC) had launched an incentive programme to improve the working conditions of the CTB. The buses that were condemned to be destroyed could be renovated through this programme. There were 182 school buses in 2006, but today 640 school buses were in service. The SLTB wanted to increse the number of school buses to 700 in 2010.