The Cabinet of Ministers this morning approved a proposal to increase bus fares by 12.5%.

The move brings minimum bus fare to Rs. 12.

The decision to revise bus fares came after protests asking for a change in fuel price in Sri Lanka.

Several bus trade unions had threatened to strike if their demands to increase bus fare were not changed.

The government verbally agreed to increase bus fares by 12.5% on May 16 but the change was officially passed today.

The change in bus fares will come into effect at midnight tonight, and was made on the condition that bus fares would not be changed the next two years.