Heavy commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland has bagged an order from the Sri Lankan Transport Board to supply 500 buses. Sri Lanka Transport Board is the state owned single largest bus transport provider with 110 depots throughout the island nation and operates buses in city routes, hilly and rural routes and also in long distance inter-city routes.

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The Hinduja Group flagship company in a statement here on Wednesday said, as part of the order secured from SLTB, it delivered 75 buses to the neighbouring country.

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The order was part of the Line of Credit extended by the Export Import Bank of India, under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government.

"More than 5,000 Ashok Leyland buses are currently in operation with Sri Lankan Transport Board and these new 32 seater buses are expected to be put into operation in rural routes throughout the island" Ashok Leyland president -- International operations Amandeep Singh said."Ashok Leyland buses and trucks are also manufactured in Sri Lanka, and the brand 'Lanka Ashok Leyland' is well known among Sri Lankans for their daily transportation requirements," he said.

"Ashok Leyland is proud of its long-standing partnership with the Sri Lankan government. We also thank the Government of India for assistance towards strengthening public transport infrastructure in Sri Lanka."

Sri Lankan Transport Board operates in diverse routes and conditions and the new Ashok Leyland buses would be best suited for roads in the rural routes.

Indian High Commissioner, Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay handed over the first set of buses to Sri Lanka Minister of Transport and Highways Affairs Bandula Gunawardana at an event in Colombo recently, the company said.

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