Negombo Bus Terminal

Negombo Bus Terminal

You wouldn’t expect a bus stand in Sri Lanka to be like a mini airport. But if you happen to go to Negombo Bus Stand, renamed as “Negombo Bus Terminal,” it is a little airport. It has almost all the facilities needed in a modern day bus stand. It is considered Sri Lanka’s best bus stand in terms of facilities. Other town council members in Sri Lanka visit this place to learn as to how a new bus stand should be built.

Negombo Bus Terminal

Construction of the bus terminal began in 2008, but had to be stopped halfway due to lack of funds. Mr. Nimal Lanza, Provincial Minister for Transport and Highways was the one who initiated the project and he came under heavy criticism by the opposition and the public alike as the existing main Negombo bus stand was inadequate and sub-standard. It was a mud hole during the rainy season and a dust bowl during the dry season.

Resting Area

Mr. Lanza negotiated with the central government to get released the Rs. 60 million required to complete the complex. Later Ministry of Economic Development also chipped in with more funds. The modern Negombo Bus Terminal Complex was constructed at a cost of Rs. 230 million. The venture has been funded jointly by the Ministry of Economic Development and the Negombo Municipal Council. Construction of this 3 storied Bus Terminal Complex was resumed in June 2010.  It was declared open in November 2011.

Elevator

The terminal has a space of 60,000 sq. ft.  There is a cinema theater in the top floor. But it is not open as a cinema yet. There are 78 trade stalls, resting and waiting halls, toilets for the public and the employees of trade stalls. Still there are vacant stalls which means the business in here hasn’t caught up well yet. Maybe the facilities came too early before the city was ready for it.
There is an elevator, and flat screen displays showing times of arrivals and departures of buses, as you see flights schedules shown in the airports. Unfortunately these digital displays will not give you the latest and correct information. The reason is that though the Negombo Bus Terminal requested all depots to send them updated time schedules of buses it doesn’t happen always as desired.
Nearly 35,000 passengers are using this bus stand daily. More than 500 private and CTB buses are handled by the terminal. The complex serves thousands of commuters and hundreds of tourists who visit the resort town throughout the year.

Waiting Area

Nowhere else in the island will you find such a multi-level, multi-purpose facility. The terminal is well staffed and efficiently serviced. The complex is well maintained, with cleaning, maintenance and security contracts offered to private companies. But there are problems as the users don’t know how to use modern facilities. There are small messages pasted in toilets and water fountains instructing how to use them properly. But according to Sri Lankan standards, the place is clean.

Big Screen Display

The Bus Terminal Complex of Negombo is one of the best bus stands in Sri Lanka and it comprises unprecedented ultra-modern architectural features, state-of-the art facilities and multiple facilities for passengers and public. It serves bus routes both close range and long distance connecting with some of major destinations like Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Avissawella, Mannar, Kalpitiya, Tangalle, Kekirawa, Hatton, Balangoda, Kataragama, Kuliyapitiya, Chilaw, Ja-Ela, etc.

A Snack Stall

Traveling by Bus in Colombo

It has been almost two weeks since I arrived in Colombo for work. I have a fair bit of experiences in the public transportation in Colombo and thought of sharing some of them with you. Some of the tips I give would help you.

I travel between Upali Newspaper Limited halt in Homagama and Public Library halt in Colombo by bus. I used to ride my motorbike when I worked in Colombo earlier but due to the soaring petrol prices, I thought of opting to public transportation. Besides, riding motorbike is bit risky and you can also get drenched in unexpected rains. I use the bike for long distant riding.

I usually don’t get a seat when I get on to the bus at Homagama. Since I have to be standing, I start to listen to some music over my phone’s MP3 player, mainly DJ-remixed Bollywood songs and later I started listening to audio books as it was more productive. That doesn’t mean I have totally given up the Bollywood music. I can concentrate on audiobooks only if I am little comfortable in the bus, even if I am standing. If I am uncomfortable, DJ music is the best option. I recently downloaded a good Bengali-Hindi mix. I would advise you too to invest on a phone with an MP3 Player or a radio so that the hassle of being in a jam-packed bus will be temporarily forgotten.

I always get a seat before my destination. When I get a seat, I start reading a book which I gave up few days back because the weight of the laptop bag with this thick book started giving me back pains. So, if you want to enjoy reading in the bus, buy something light like a magazine. You cannot open a big newspaper inside a bus and Sri Lanka hardly has any tabloid newspapers now. Magazines and smaller books would be ideal.

Getting a seat on the way is a little secret. I have tested this every day and it works for male folks. Sorry women, I have no tips for you. As soon as I get into a bus, I go closer to the front row of seats. Even if the front row is occupied I hang on there, especially close to the seat allocated for the clergy. There are two advantages. Most monks get on to the bus get out on the way and the seat becomes vacant for you. The other benefit is that if women are seated in that seat, when a monk gets on, they all have to get out of the seat as the society thinks that a woman being seated next to a monk is unacceptable. In both ways, you manage to get a seat. Not bad eh! Try this next time when you are in a bus.

Remember to keep some coins with you when you travel in a bus. The conductors are poor fellows working hard throughout the day and we shouldn’t give them the burden of looking for change. In the developed world, commuters are used to keep change for the bus fair. When you offer changed money, the conductors even smile with you. A smile is something you can least expect of a bus conductor in Colombo.

I am scared to sit in the seats where young ladies sit because I often fall asleep in the bus. While asleep, if I lean towards such a woman, she might think that I am purposefully doing it. To avoid the embarrassment, I skip a young woman’s seat. And this is why I have never made female friends in a bus. Some of my friends are experts to get friendly with the girls in the bus and they even end up going for a date with the girl once they get down the bus.