The government is planning to make pre-departure inspections mandatory for all long-distance buses. The new process is scheduled to begin early next month.

The first phase will be rolled out at the Bastian Mawatha bus terminal in Colombo and the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre, under the supervision of the National Transport Commission.

The new regulation will also apply to long-distance tour and charter buses, which will not be approved for special tours without a fitness certificate.

According to the Department of Motor Traffic, any bus travelling over 100 kilometres will have to obtain a fitness certificate 48 hours before the start of its journey.

The department will issue a circular with the necessary guidelines and plans to authorise vehicle repair services across the country to issue these certificates in the future.