Final Report on Ella Bus Accident to be Released Soon

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Department of Motor Traffic says the final report of the committee investigating the recent bus accident in Ella will be released within the next few days.

Meanwhile, Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Rathnayake briefed the media yesterday on the preliminary findings of the investigation. 

According to the minister, the accident was caused when the bus’s brakes overheated and became ineffective while descending a slope. 

Examinations of the vehicle revealed that grease leaks in the rear right wheel drum had damaged the braking system over a prolonged period, making it ineffective. Investigators also found signs of excessive heating in other wheel drums, indicating long-standing issues. 

It was further revealed that the driver was handling the bus for the first time during this journey, and his unfamiliarity with both the vehicle and the road may have contributed to the tragedy. 

Fatigue was also identified as a possible factor.

Following the accident, the Road Development Authority has taken steps to strengthen safety along the Ella–Wellawaya main road by installing protective embankments and warning signs at the accident site.

The tragedy occurred on the night of the 4th, when a group of Tangalle Municipal Council employees and their family members were returning from a leisure trip to Nuwara Eliya. 

The accident claimed 15 lives and left 17 others injured. 

The Tangalle Youth Society has since organized a religious ceremony to honor those who lost their lives.

Highlighting broader road safety concerns, Minister Ratnayake pointed out the need for extra caution when driving on hill country roads. 

He also stressed the importance of addressing weaknesses in the country’s driver training system. 

Many driving schools, he said, were plagued by corruption and poor standards, making it difficult to produce professional drivers.

The minister emphasized that reforms are planned to regulate driving schools more effectively, possibly through electronic monitoring systems. 

He added that the Department of Motor Traffic should go beyond being a licensing authority and take a stronger role in ensuring transport safety. 

Measures under consideration include introducing biometric systems such as fingerprint verification and decentralizing certain administrative tasks to reduce congestion at the RMV.

According to the minister, such reforms would allow the Department of Motor Traffic to fully carry out its mandate of ensuring road safety, with the legal framework already in place to support these changes for at least the next 25 years.