State Minister of Transport, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, said  that new speed limit regulations aimed at reducing road accidents will be issued via a gazette within the next two weeks. Speaking at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country,’ he stated that ongoing strikes are politically motivated rather than based on genuine professional rights.

Minister Alagiyawanna highlighted several initiatives to improve the transport sector, including the opening of the Kadawatha bus terminal in August under President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He said that modern transport management and advanced technology would be incorporated into these terminals.

Addressing road safety, the Minister revealed that 2,214 road accidents resulted in 2,321 deaths in 2023, with 1,103 accidents and 1,154 fatalities reported this year by the end of June. To combat this, the National Council for Road Safety has allocated LKR 50 million to the Sri Lanka Police for speed control equipment.

The Ministry also plans to introduce Road Safety Clubs in schools and a medal awarding program for students. On the rail strike issue, the Public Service Commission has approved the promotion of station masters every five years, with a Cabinet paper prepared for further approval and Minister Alagiyawanna said that the strikes are driven by political agendas, not professional grievances.