Sri Lanka, May 4 -- Long-distance passengers will in future be required to pay only a nominal fee of around Rs. 30 when reserving seats through the online booking system, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake has announced.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Ministry of Transport today (05) to raise awareness on the online seat reservation system for long-distance travel, the Minister said the initiative was launched as a pilot project with private bus operators.

He said the system allows passengers to check bus schedules in advance and arrive at bus stops accordingly, reducing waiting times and inconvenience. It is also expected to address several issues in the current reservation process, includi...