{"id":144495,"date":"2024-09-26T17:13:24","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T00:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=144495"},"modified":"2024-09-26T17:13:24","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T00:13:24","slug":"a-fare-question-the-case-for-electronic-payments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2024\/09\/26\/a-fare-question-the-case-for-electronic-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fare Question: The Case for Electronic Payments"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong>Sasanka De Silva Pannipitiya<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The simple act of paying a bus fare in Sri Lanka has become a perplexing puzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a minimum fare of Rs 28, handing over a Rs 100 note results in a Rs 70 return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where does the remaining Rs 2 disappear to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a question that has puzzled commuters and raised concerns about transparency and efficiency in public transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer lies in the antiquated cash-based system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The unaccounted-for Rs 2, while seemingly insignificant, represents a systemic inefficiency. It neither benefits the loss-making Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) nor the passenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This inefficiency is a stark reminder of the need for a modern, electronic payment system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a system would not only ensure accurate fare calculation but also streamline revenue collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By eliminating the need for physical cash handling, service providers could reduce their operational costs and potentially decrease their reliance on subsidies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, electronic payments could help mitigate the risk of fare evasion, a significant problem that contributes to the financial burden on public transportation systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reluctance to adopt electronic payments can be attributed to several factors, including concerns about union resistance and potential political backlash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the continued reliance on outdated systems is a disservice to both commuters and the public transportation sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new regime has an opportunity to address this issue and implement a more efficient and transparent payment system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By taking bold steps to modernize public transportation, the government can improve the quality of service, reduce costs, and enhance the overall commuting experience for Sri Lankans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sasanka De Silva,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pannipitiya.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sasanka De Silva Pannipitiya The simple act of paying a bus fare in Sri Lanka has become a perplexing puzzle. For a minimum fare of Rs 28, handing over a Rs 100 note results in a Rs 70 return. Where does the remaining Rs 2 disappear to? It&#8217;s a question that has puzzled commuters and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[195],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sasanka-de-silva"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144495\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}