Jaffna residents say they paid less to pass through the Tiger tolls on the A-9 than what they now pay to take the government's lengthy detour.
"Bus fare was only Rs. 150 [US$1.50]" before the A-9 was closed, Jaffna resident Shri Nathan, told the Christian Science Monitor.
"Passengers didn't have to pay anything. Only business people did."
Now passengers pay Rs. 300 [US$3] for the bus ride from Mannar or Vavuniya to Trincomalee and an additional Rs. 1500 [US$15] for the sea passage from Trincomalee to Jaffna.
"It takes three days for travel. It will be good if they open the A-9," says Suhasini Vickramasurya, a high school student. "We used to be able to go from Vavuniya to Jaffna in four hours."
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1122/p07s01-wosc.html
"Bus fare was only Rs. 150 [US$1.50]" before the A-9 was closed, Jaffna resident Shri Nathan, told the Christian Science Monitor.
"Passengers didn't have to pay anything. Only business people did."
Now passengers pay Rs. 300 [US$3] for the bus ride from Mannar or Vavuniya to Trincomalee and an additional Rs. 1500 [US$15] for the sea passage from Trincomalee to Jaffna.
"It takes three days for travel. It will be good if they open the A-9," says Suhasini Vickramasurya, a high school student. "We used to be able to go from Vavuniya to Jaffna in four hours."
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1122/p07s01-wosc.html
