Negombo Bus Terminal: All under one roof

-How could be obtain maximum usage of Vacant Floors?-

Negombo Bus Terminal is the one of the most modern Bus Stand in Sri Lanka, which is used all the smart technological facilities to the passengers. And if I say that it is the most beautiful bus terminal in Sri Lanka, I guess I might correct.

Most of the time, planners have criticized as they bring all the abroad concepts to Sri Lanka and they try to place them in our public places. Moreover that; this Negombo Bus Terminal gives us a signboard that how can the places adopted by using modern Architecture and smart technologies.

It was designed by Architect Bandula Welikadaarachchi. The whole complex is about 3 stories and been viewed as a crab in bird eye view. So that it gives Negombo to an iconic land mark. And when compared the location of the Bus Terminal I guess it is the ideal location because it is centered to many schools and all the tuition classes are within surrounded and the railway station also located at 100m far from the Bus Stand so that it is all nearby.

Among several facilities, the 60,000- square feet complex encloses a 78 trade stalls, a public restaurant, resting and waiting halls for passengers, 14 toilets for the public and 36 toilets for the employees of trade stalls. And the upper floor is suggested to use as Cinema Theaters.

Nearly 35000 passengers are using Negombo Bus Terminal daily and there offer some long distance bus services such as: Negombo to Kandy, Negombo to Kalpitiya etc. And also it provides bus services for Negombo in and around sub-urban areas. Especially when considering the Katunayake International Airport, Negombo Bus Terminal provides many bus services to facilitate adjoining with the airport.

Arrival and departures of the buses will be displayed on digital screens similar to the flights schedule displays at airports for the convenience of nearly 35,000 passengers who are using the bus stand daily.

The Ministry of Economic Development and the Negombo Municipal Council jointly provided the funds for the three-storied bus stand built at a cost of Rs. 220 Million. It was declared to public in 4th of October 2011 by the Former Minister of Economic Development Hon. Basil Rajapaksa.

And do you know that, now it has been 7 years after declaration but still the upper floors of the Bus Terminal are vacant. Yes there are only two or three stalls of bags and accessories shops but no one wants to go and purchase. Though this modern bus stand is also fixed with elevators and electric stairs, people are not willing to go upper floors for shopping.

"Therefore only the ground floor is functioning for 7 years yet after opened for public. "

And also some other weak point that it provides is lesser night time facilities. We can observe that after 8 p.m. at night, the Negombo Bus Terminal area is becoming dead till the next day started. I guess it is one another aspect that we should consider in planning of a bus terminal due that it is one of the most essential urban services.

So now that it is obvious to find re-adaptation strategies to obtain maximum functioning of Negombo Bus Terminal; especially to functioning of the upper floors. As citizens who ever use the bus terminal facilities, it is our duty to make a discourse of it. Then only Negombo will become a greater bus terminal service. This is not only the case for Negombo; it will be an influence on all the bus terminal facilities in Sri Lanka.

So please comment on your ideas and thoughts about how to get maximum functioning of Negombo Bus Terminal, suggest how to re-adapt the upper floors functioning, how it can make moreover night time facilities and to provide more long distance bus services.

Please fill the below google form to include your suggestions: