No bus service for Delft residents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 12:53 GMT]
The single bus belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board the provides public transport within the islet of Delft spends more time in the depot undergoing repairs than time on the road forcing local residents who live close to the western shores of the islet to walk more than four miles to reach Mavilthurai jetty or to travel to local hospital, sources in Jaffna said.

Woes of Delft islanders are further worsened when they have to travel to mainland Jaffna. Passengers have to wait more than two hours at the Kurikkattuvaan jetty in Punguduthivu to take a ferry back to Delft.

The boat 'Kumudini' run by the Road Development Authority (RDA) is also in bad mechanical shape and routinely breaks down delaying the passenger traffic travelling from and to Delft.

Civil society organizations in Jaffna said they have complained about the difficulties to the government authorities of the travel difficulties of the islet residents, but officials have limited options to improve the situation due to shortage of funds, sources said.

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