 The **Sri Lanka Transport Board**
is a [company](Corporations "wikilink") which provides
[bus](Buses "wikilink") services across [Sri
Lanka](Democratic_Socialist_Republic_of_Sri_Lanka "wikilink"). It saw a
highly successful experiment in large-scale [workers'
self-management](Workers'_Self-Management "wikilink") from [1958 to
1979](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism "wikilink") as well as some
interesting data on [anarcho-capitalism](Anarcho-Capitalism "wikilink").
## History
### Origins
The first bus company in Sri Lanka was established in 1907, and
according to [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink"):
> "There was no regulation, so when more than one bus operated on a
> single route there was a scramble for the load, which might end in
> fisticuffs or evenstabbings. By the mid-1930s, malpractices in pursuit
> of maximum profit began to compromise safety and comfort."
and
> The owners were in overall charge of operations, and the companies ran
> the services on their own whims and fancies; the companies shared
> routes among themselves. It was therefore difficult for the commuters
> to travel to distant places without breaking journey at one or two
> destinations. There were no time schedules or night time services.
> Buses packed to capacity were driven at a terrific speed, even on
> bends on the steep roads of the Hatton-Adam's Peak route. Only the
> South Western Bus Company was run on modern lines. These companies
> employed the minimum number of staff: support staff was almost
> non-existent. The employees were treated abominably: one owner
> allegedly tied a bus conductor to a tree and spanked the poor man for
> failing to bring in the targeted collection for the day. Unionisation
> by N. M. Perera's All Ceylon United Motor Workers' Union had to
> proceed in secret, with union agents disguising themselves to avoid
> company thugs.\[1\]
Sounds like a [utopia](Anarcho-Capitalism "wikilink"), doesn't it?
Eventually, the [state](State_\(Polity\) "wikilink") was pressured by
[unions](Trade_Unions "wikilink") to enact
[regulations](Regulation "wikilink"), but the companies efforts to
constantly skirt them and the economic effects of poor [public
transport](Transport "wikilink") led to
[nationalization](nationalization "wikilink").\[2\] But mismangement,
corruption and inefficienies led to a change in the system.
### Workers' Self-Management
In order to improve the efficiency of the buses, [worker
councils](Worker_Councils "wikilink") were set up which allow [workers'
self-management](Workers'_Self-Management "wikilink") to be put into
practice. The [standardisation](standardisation "wikilink") of
construction material, vehicles and fuel combined with the increased
morale of workers (both drivers and maintenance crew) led by workers
councils allowed for the largest bus service in the world (with 7,000
buses and 50,000 workers serving 4,000,000 commuters a day) to function
smoothly, delivering on-time bus services, clean buses and few
accidents.\[3\]
### Privatisation
When the [neoliberal](Neoliberalism "wikilink") government around J.R.
Jayewardene was intent on destroying a popular symbol of
[socialism](socialism "wikilink") in practice. Funding was cut massively
and buses were sold to other companies who supported the ruling
government at low prices. Assets from the company were stolen by
government cronies and workers councils were banned. By the 2000s, the
board had declined massively and gets a ltter every day about overloaded
buses, buses going too fast, dangerous driving, rude staff and high
fees.\[4\]
## References
1. [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") -
2. [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") -
3. [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") -
4. [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") -