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