Linking the North and South after two decades the A-9 road was yesterday (July 22) declared open by MP Basil Rajapaksa and Special Advisor to the President and cabinet Minister Douglas Devananda. MP Basil presides over “Uthuru Wasanthaya”, a rapid development scheme for liberated districts of Jaffna.
Two hundred civilians from Jaffna were loaded to the buses flying national flags and started the new historical journey from Jaffna’s Alfred Duriappa Stadium to Colombo. 
Due to the opening of the A9 road to civilian traffic, the transportation of goods hitherto done by ships also could be done by surface and due to the lowering of the cost of the transportation the fuel prices in Jaffna came down immediately at Presidential orders. Colombo said this was made possible by the reductions of transportation costs and insurance costs. Gasoline was reduced by six Rupees, Diesel by Rupees 5.10 and Paraffin by Rupees 5.60.passing the dividends of peace to the people.
Passengers said while they were travelling to Colombo by ship the cost was few thousand Rupees but the bus trip cost them only few hundred rupees.
Government sources said, state owned Sri Lanka Transport Board buses also would ply to Kandy, Batticaloa and Trincomalee using the A9 road.
Due to the LTTE capturing the A9 road, no transportation was done by the civilians using it for over two decades. The Government has added more than 50 buses to ply on A9. Since it was captured back by the government troops only military transportation was allowed until yesterday.
By: Walter Jayawardhana