Travelling within Colombo

Buses in Colombo are operated by the Government. However, there are some private players as well. Buses run in the city at an interval of 20-25 minutes. The approximate fare of buses ranges from Rs 4 to Rs 25 for intracity travel depending on the distance travelled.

Private semi luxury and luxury buses are a recent addition to the bus services. The luxury buses have curtains and soft seats. The fare for luxury buses is almost twice that of ordinary buses.

Taxis are another means of transportation. Taxis have metres starting at Rs 40. However, most cab drivers do not go by the metre and a fare needs to be negotiated. The approximate fare for a standard taxi is Rs 65 per km. One can find taxis outside the airport, the train station as well as near tourist attractions.

Taxis are available on call in Colombo. Taxis run in the city throughout the day. However, extra night charges apply to the basic fare for travelling by taxi between 11 pm and 5 am.

Trains are not available for intracity travel. However, one can travel by train to the neighbouring cities from Colombo.
Trains run from the Fort Railway station at an interval of one hour throughout the day. The approximate fare for trains is Rs 50 to Rs 200, depending on the class one is travelling in.

Trishaws or tuk tuks are another alternative for travelling within Colombo. The average price for a distance of 4-5 km is Rs 60. The tuk tuks do not have metres and a price needs to be negotiated.

However, the Sri Lankan Tourism Board has recently introduced its own line of Tuks Tuks which have metres. One can book a government operated tuk tuk any time of the day by calling 0712 500 800.