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Not a day passes without hearing or reading about tragedies connected
with motor accidents, especially involving private buses and
three-wheelers, most of which are mainly due to negligence and blatant
violation of traffic rules.
The situation got worsened after the winding up of the CTB and the
introduction of private buses on to the road in the post - 1977 era,
without adhering to any code of ethics.
I think every right-thinking person will agree with me when I say
that the public transport system of the country deteriorated as a result
of denationalisation of the CTB, which started with decentralization
leading to the break up of the CTB into 9 Boards, and thereafter,
selling the buses to private parties for a song on the pretext of
curbing losses.
But the authorities miserably failed to streamline the public
transport system on sound footing to cater to the needs of the
travelling public. This also resulted in the creation of indiscipline in
society, since every passenger on the road waiting for a bus has to
undergo a hard struggle to get into a bus, which more often than not, do
not run according to a fixed time table.
It is a case of cut-throat competition among bus owners and bus
crews, most of whom are an indisciplined lot.
In these circumstances, I would like to suggest four measures which
would, if implemented, provide a better service to the travelling
public, reduce the incidence of accidents and persuade those using their
private vehicles to travel in buses, thereby reducing traffic congestion
and saving on foreign exchange:
1. All buses, both CTB and private should be compelled to run on
joint time tables, which should be regularly monitored by relevant
officers and such time tables should be displayed at respective bus
stops.
2. Buses should be compelled to stop at only bus stops and take
passengers from the queues. Heavy fines should be charged from drivers
who stop buses outside bus stops.
3. The working hours of drivers should be strictly limited to 8-12
hours a day and if a driver sleeps on the wheel and cause accidents,
both the bus owner and the driver should be severely dealt with.
4. Private buses running on a particular route should be persuaded
and encouraged to pool their buses and form companies, as happened prior
to nationalisation of bus services in 1958, so that the management could
be streamlined and discipline maintained.
SAVIMON URUGODAWATTA,
Nugegoda, via email
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In an online version of the DN recently, I read that the Government
is planning to impose fines to all overstayting visitors to the country.
I welcome this move wholeheartedly.
It adds that "In accordance with the amendments to the
Immigration/Emigration Act, the Department will impose a US $ 25 fine on
all foreign tourists overstaying more than seven days up to 30 days."
However I do not understand why the Government is allowing an
overstay of one week without any charge? In my opinion even one day of
overstay should be fined.
The fines seem to be very low compared to the amounts one has to pay,
if you overstay in a Western country and should be doubled.
It may be the case that the majority of the cases are from across the
Palk Straits, but that will discourage the overstayting and change the
mindset of those who think that in Sri Lanka any rule can be broken and
get away with.
GAMINI RANJIT,
via email
----
First, let's examine phenomena in Wildlife Biology. Mr. Bandaranaike
made allegations in Parliament and warned people he is like a sleeping
lion that has been awakened. (Reference DN Feb. 12) Anyone with any idea
of how lions behave should have known that in a pride of lions it is the
females/lionesses who do all the work.
Male lions sleep for over 18 hours a day and doesn't bother to hunt.
Instead, they wait till a pack of lionesses bring in the kill and then
demand the lion's share for themselves even before the cubs are fed. The
lions role in a pride is reproduction.
Hence, it was not a very astute observation to make given the senior
member's high level of education and intelligence.
Secondly, he was the Minister of Tourism for a long time. During the
tsunami, he was away from Sri Lanka for too long making statements from
Los Angeles instead of running back to help Mahinda Rajapaksa who was
first on the scene before any senior minister on the scene.
His interpretation of being Minister of Tourism seemed to have been
to tour around the world at will and not even visit Rest Houses or
Tourist Board run places to see how dilapidated some of them are.
He was lucky to have been given a new ministry given his woeful
attendance in Sri Lanka and his lack of interest in doing anything for
the country other than shouting about how much his parents sacrificed.
What does their sacrifice got to do with him? What did he sacrifice?
His parents had absolute class and did not resort to angry vitriolic
outbursts in Parliament or writing nasty letters, most of them without a
name to people he feels are lower than he is or people he feels have not
respected him even when all they have done is counter-argue in
Parliament about his own statements. He behaves like a spoilt juvenile.
ROGER FRANCIS GUNASEKERA,
Mihirigama, via email
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The existing Parliamentary model is not suitable for Sri Lanka since
it adds further differences to the populace divided by race, caste,
religion, economic and social status.
Race as ethnic division is further divided Up-country Sinhalese and
Low-country Sinhalese Jaffna Tamils, Batticaloa Tamils, Colombo Tamils
and Estate Tamils. These differences have caused rifts in the civil
society.
These differences are energy cells but most of the time they are
dormant. The political differences exist but should be mellowed. There
should not be venom.
The cross-over of People's Representatives augurs a brighter future
for Sri Lanka since their contribution in thoughts, words and deeds will
create more energy at the disposal of the government. When there is
political rivalry inside the House of Representatives, it begets both
rivalry and violence in the villages and towns.
The people want concord harmony and prosperity. The Modes of
Understanding on paper should give way to Modes of Understanding based
on the pure hearts. This is not the time for confrontational politics
but co-existing politics. We have to drop the term 'Opposition' since it
is oppressive for Nation Building task.
It is an up-hill task. The Leader is piloting the Engine of
Development and it is time for the other Leader to hitch his engine too
and push from behind. That is a national obligation expected by the
people.
The philosophy is harmonious interaction. The House may have the
governing group and the counselling group.
According to the needs of the Nation, the members of the Counselling
Group may be released to the Governing Group without prejudice. The
House will function as a harmonious whole and keep to the nation's
agenda.
D. M. N. DISSANAYAKE,
Gampaha
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On my way home, I went to a supermarket to pick up bread. The
customer before me, a boy of about 14 years of age asked for two packets
of cigarettes. The girl at the counter nonchalantly started punching the
receipt. I asked her, "Aren't you supposed to ask his age?"
She instead asked the boy "Is it for you?" and he replied (obviously)
"No" - then he continued "If I am taken to courts she will also have to
come to the courts no? So she won't object!" He got the cigarettes and
smilingly walked out!
So there, the laws for you! Similarly, the ban on sili sili bags is
impudently ignored by one and all. All this time, only our law makers
were taken to be jokers. Now even our laws are taken to be jokes!
Dr. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI,
Dehiwela
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I appreciate the letter about polythene control (D/N Feb. 09).
Thanks to the writer for his good ideas.
I wish to say about 3R concept; it is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle of
polythene and plastic. This concept will work more efficiently when it
is properly introduced all citation who love our environment and our
future generation. Indeed the rule and penalty can not control the usage
of shopping bags.
There should be awareness in the society. There should be enough
awareness programme in all level of the community and it should be
conducted in different ways such as programmes in school for children,
campaign in public places, in public media different attractive and
meaningful advertisement, competitions etc.
It will lead the objective of the rule, otherwise this new rule will
only be in the documentation not in implementation same as several rules
in our country.
SIVA, Colombo,
via email |
