Minister says new measures to safeguard passengers' safety

In a meeting held in Colombo with the transport authorities, bus workers were asked to get a certificate on safety before starting the journey from a bus terminal.

Passengers will not be allowed to carry big bags or parcels and the workers were advised to search all the small bags, transport minister AHM Fowzie told BBC Sandeshaya.

Passengers' safety

Same regulations will be applied to trains but a meeting with the train workers to be held next week, the minister added.

Minister Fowzie said he requested the authorities to allow government workers more time to report to work under the new security regulations.

Passengers must understand that all these in place are to guarantee their safety Transport minister Fowzie

The minister admitted new regulations may delay public transport services.

"But the passengers must understand that all these in place are to guarantee their safety".

Air raids

The authoties have taken measures to step security after at least 20 passengers were killed and over 100 injured in two blasts in buses on Friday and Saturday.

Friday's blast in Nittambuwa in a private passenger bus killed five people and the blast at Godagama, near Hikkaduwa has claimed 15 lives.

The Government has accused Tamil Tigers of carrying out attacks on civilians.

There was no immediate response from the LTTE.

Asked how to guarantee the safety of the civilians while air force bombs civilians in the north, Minister Fowzie said the government has no intention of dragging the conflict any longer and committed to find a negotiated settlement.