Rampaging speed fiends

A country devastated by shock and sorrow over the harrowing train-bus collision in Polgahawela hardly a week ago, which killed over 35 persons and injured many more, has been gripped by speechless horror once again by two more road tragedies involving private buses; one occurring in the same area where the railway crossing catastrophe occurred.

Apparently, in one accident, a private bus was outspeeding another when it skidded off a bend and crashed into a clump of coconut trees, killing two passengers and injuring scores of others. In the other incident, a speeding private bus had ploughed into a lorry, injuring the driver of the latter.

These new road tragedies are proof that the highway monsters of the private bus sector are still at large although last Friday we called for an immediate taming of these road fiends, who on that occasion we referred to as Frankenstein Monsters running amok. Lax law-enforcement seems to be a significant factor in this destructive trend.

Commenting on the subject of the train-bus crash on two consecutive days last week, we called for the imposition of the stiffest, most prohibitive penalties for what seems to be wilful, brazen negligence on the part of some private bus drivers.

These editorials by us were well received by the public and even the international media but neither the authorities concerned nor the demon drivers themselves seemed to have sat up and taken notice. Since precious lives have been lost, those responsible for these accidents should be called upon to pay a prohibitive price for their inhumane indifference. They should be shown no quarter.

Unless the authorities act with this toughness we do not see road indiscipline receding. Besides, the Traffic Police should be always on the move, without reducing themselves to an immobile presence, seeking out traffic offenders and unflinchingly meting out justice.

Meanwhile, it would be relevant to mention that the attitude shown by Gemunu Wijeratne, the head of an association of private bus operators, is as disturbing as the road tragedies themselves. Reports last week quoted Wijeratne as saying that the State transport authorities are responsible for disciplining errant private bus operators.

Disclaiming any responsibility for this task, he had even referred to these private bus operators as "brutes."

Apparently, bus operators' unions are a law unto themselves. The country is expected to be beholden to them for the nauseous treatment meted out by them to harried commuters. Other than fleecing commuters and holding the public to ransom, these unions don't seem to be bothered about anything else.

This is amounting to allowing the tail to wag the dog.

We call on the State to hold these bus unions firmly accountable for the offences of their operatives.

Meanwhile, there is no alternative to rebuilding the Sate bus services and freeing our bus commuters from the clutches of the private bus sector.