Buses in Sri Lanka

What are the buses in Sri Lanka and how to use them

Sri Lanka has a very developed system of intercity and city buses. This is the main type of passenger transport in the country for locals, and a great way to travel inexpensively around the country and resorts for tourists. Most intercity buses are also city buses at the same time, i.e. they can take part of the route around the city. You can get to them almost anywhere in the country.

Red state and blue private buses run around the country. Both usually work on the same route, the prices are the same. Red buses are older and less comfortable, but locals prefer and recommend using them because they are considered safer.

Unfortunately, in some cases it is not very comfortable to travel by buses due to their overcrowding, especially during rush hours. Sometimes you can even just not get into the salon. It is also very difficult to move around inside a crowded bus, because the aisles between the rows of seats are very narrow. And if you have a big backpack and a suitcase, then this is generally a huge problem. And also, be prepared for a real extreme when traveling: local drivers are real "Schumachers" and easily overtake everyone, even tuk-tukers and motorcyclists. In general, this is not a very safe mode of transport.

Here are some tips from personal experience to make your trip as comfortable and calm as possible:

• If you are traveling with a large backpack or suitcase, it is better to put it at the beginning of the bus next to the driver on the engine compartment: He will be safe there and will not disturb anyone.
• If you need to get a long-distance bus, come to the departure bus station early in the morning, otherwise there is a chance to get stuck somewhere along the way at a transfer.
• When you arrive at the departure station, it is better to immediately find the right bus and take a seat, otherwise you will have to go standing.
• Sometimes there may be several buses at the station in the direction you need at once, please specify which one will go first.
• In order not to miss the exit stop, follow the movement on the maps in your smartphone and press the exit bell button in advance (usually these buttons are on the ceiling)
• You can get from point to point in different ways, and not always a direct bus will be the fastest option, so do not be afraid to go with transfers according to local advice.
• Always double-check the information about routes and flights in different sources (at the ticket offices, on the scoreboard and at the drivers), and do not immediately trust the tuk-tuk drivers who will say that there is no bus you need.
• Do not forget to go to the toilet before leaving for a long distance.
• On the way, buses make rest stops at cafes where you can have a snack and go to the toilet.
• For long trips, especially through mountainous areas, it makes sense to take a motion sickness pill before the trip.

How much does the fare cost

The cost of the trip is very low, but depends on the distance. Tickets are not purchased in advance, payment takes place inside the buses to the conductors. Tickets are sometimes issued, sometimes not, but theoretically should always be issued. You need to tell the conductor your destination (city, district, some famous place), and he will tell you the fare. In some cases, conductors charge tourists several times higher than local ones, or "forget" to give change. Such cases are rare, but even taking into account these "tattoos", the fare is more than acceptable. For example, the fare from the city of Galle to the resort of Unawatuna in 2023, taking into account the "no change" was about 100 rupees (0.3 USD, see currency of Sri Lanka, exchange rate). Also, for example, travel from the popular Mt Lavinia area in Colombo to the city center of Colombo Fort district (distance almost 13 kilometers) – 40 rupees (0.12 USD).

What kind of buses are there

Buses are simple and express. The latter are often air-conditioned, the former never. Express trains go faster and cost about twice as much as simple ones. It is most often possible to distinguish an express by size: these are small buses like our Gazelles or a little more. At the same time, express trains do not run all over the country, but mainly on the west and south-west coast.

There is also a separate category of buses, which can be called in our way as branded buses. They run only on very popular intercity routes, including to Colombo Airport. They are more comfortable and air-conditioned, and they have only seating unlike any other, including express trains. For example, travel on such a bus from a bus station Negombo to Colombo at a distance of almost 40 kilometers in an hour and a half costs from 500 rupees (1.51 USD).

Schedule and opening hours

In general, when planning bus trips, it is worthwhile to understand such a general thing: during the day you can get by bus from anywhere in the country to any other, possibly with transfers, you just need to plan the route correctly and leave early. To find out exactly how best to go, ask for help from local residents, and it is better to ask several at once. Also at the bus stations of many large cities there are information windows where they will tell you everything about routes and transfers, you just need to ask the right question where you need to get to. Moreover, it is better to do this if possible on the previous day before the trip, since in some directions flights may depart early in the morning, for example at 3 or 4 in the morning.

Almost all buses in Sri Lanka do not run according to schedule (although it may be) or with a strong deviation from it. They often go even to long–distance destinations, but trying to catch a bus on time is a waste of time, because you will spend more time figuring out this issue than waiting for it at the station.

City buses run very often during the daytime, especially during the daytime. In the evening, with the onset of darkness (this is after 18 hours), the frequency decreases.

Buses do not run at night, with rare exceptions. For example, there is an airport bus to Colombo. Some routes continue to work until midnight, but do not count on it too much, and it is better to complete all your moves around the city or between cities for up to 20 hours, otherwise you may get stuck somewhere on the way to transfers.

Routes

Bus routes in Sri Lanka are numbered. Numbering is continuous throughout the country, i.e. there are no different routes in different cities with the same number. However, similar routes are numbered with the same number or using a fraction, for example, from Kandy to Colombo number 01, and from Kandy to Negombo could be 01/34. It is almost impossible to deal with this, therefore, information about the starting and ending points of the route is indicated on the windshield, which is almost always duplicated in English. For international buses, cities are indicated, and for city buses, as a rule, the district is also indicated.

It is difficult to understand all the intricacies of the routes. But you can always use the help of local residents or conductors who will answer whether the bus is going to the place you need. Do not hesitate to approach the first bus that stops and name the place where you need to go: the driver, conductor, or passengers will definitely answer you. The most important thing is to correctly and clearly name the place you need. Just don't expect everyone to know the name of the mall or hotel you need, so it's important to know at least the name of the city or district.

As for the online schedule and route maps, they do not exist in their full form. On some sites you can find supposedly "complete" maps of all Sri Lankan buses, but in fact they do not show even a tenth of everything that goes here. But still, some information in advance for route planning can be found in advance in the following ways:

• Use the construction of routes on public transport on Google maps. The information there is about half unreliable and at least as incomplete, but you can get at least some initial idea for your route, and the details are already found out and rechecked on the spot.
• Official website of long-distance buses https://sltb.eseat.lk/. Here you can check the schedule and even book tickets, but only for long-haul flights and not at all.
• There are two more sources where the official schedules of state buses are posted, but they are in Sinhala and Tamil as separate files for download, but if you wish, you can still find something: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Xs9LqFJzQgNtoZbEJq5ZhzsAtfo_SnMC and https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M5XvtX-WKCiUYUF3GpcAR_8a8dmsLEhM
• The state website of the Passenger Transport Commission, where in the menu you can find links to updated schedules for download in PDF formats - https://www.rpta.wp.gov.lk/index_home.php?lan=e
• The company's website of branded travel mainly in southern Sri Lanka - https://www.sprpta.lk/

Stations and stops

Buses stop at stops that are marked either simply with road signs, or are fully equipped stopping points, like ours. But there are very few such full-fledged stops, more often it's just a sign, and sometimes even just a place known only to locals, where ostobuses make a stop along the way.

In theory, buses stop only at bus stops, but in practice they pick up passengers anywhere, they just have to wave their hand, and drop them off at bus stops on a call. Calls are usually on the ceilings, do not neglect their use, especially in crowded buses, otherwise it will pass a stop. If you don't know the area, it's best to use Yandex.navigator to monitor traffic and access to a bus stop, for example, install Organic.map or Maps.me However, Google maps is also doing a good job. The entrance and exit are sometimes made almost on the move: the bus slows down without stopping completely while passengers jump out and drop in.

Intercity buses start and end their routes at bus stations that are in every major city or district. Sometimes these stations are huge buildings, and in some places just a large parking lot. But the principle is the same everywhere: you come to the station, find the bus you need, and just get on it. No ticket offices and advance bookings are required, everything is paid in the bus to the conductor.

To find the right bus at the bus station, you can either walk around and look at the information on the signs in the parking places where they are, and at small stations you just need to ask bus drivers or passers-by where the bus going there is.

The first few rows of seats in the front of the cabin are intended for pregnant women and religious figures (monks), as warned by the signs-stickers on the windows or ceiling of the bus. But if neither of them are on the bus, you can safely occupy these seats, and if necessary, give them a place.