A strategic program to digitize Sri Lanka’s national transport system by interconnecting the transport, highways, and urban development sectors through digital infrastructure, rather than operating them separately was launched on August 23 at the Waters Edge premises under the theme "Integrated Transport, Highways and Urban Development for Sri Lanka through Digitalization towards 2035."
The event was held under the patronage of Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport and Highways; Hon. Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Urban Development; and Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratna, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratna pointed out that the lack of digital connectivity among state institutions within the current transport system causes practical difficulties for the public, leading to significant daily losses of time and money. Attention was focused on building an integrated transport system based on national digital infrastructure to resolve this situation.
Under this digitalization initiative, instead of searching for different transport modes separately, Open GTFS data will be provided to allow commuters to plan their entire journey on a single map and access live tracking for buses and trains. Furthermore, a unified payment system will be established, enabling fare payments across all transit modes using any bank card, QR code, mobile wallet, or Transit Card.
He also addressed the establishment of an electronic law enforcement system with a demerit point mechanism linked to the GovPay system, a road pricing system planned from 2027 to be operational by 2034, and the implementation of GPS technology for railway locomotives to increase capacity.
To prevent the same road from being re-excavated multiple times a year, the plan includes a common construction registry for all utility agencies, digital building approvals, and transit-oriented urban development. The Minister further emphasized that government institutions, rather than purchasing isolated systems individually, must interconnect using the National Data Exchange (NDX), and that every digital data system must have a designated responsible officer.
The event was attended by Eng. (Dr.) Asiri Karunawardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, along with heads of numerous state institutions and technical officers.
