Safe driving on expressway
Posted on November 21st, 2011
Dr.Tilak Fernando
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”A vital transport system, with effective motor traffic law enforcement, helps to buttress a nationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s economic growthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. I have quoted this before in this column, but it becomes more appropriate on November 27 when President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurates the first phase of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The historic Southern Expressway.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢
The main function of the motorway will be to move people and goods 126.5 kilometres within 70 minutes efficiently. For those commuters who decide to use the highway two super luxury buses are going to be deployed initially. According to SLTB chairman M D Bandusena experienced drivers too have been trained with passenger safety in mind.
Colombo-Galle is a long journey and it will be interesting to see whether the passengers of private coaches will benefit out of the promised ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”luxuryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ status as opposed to the prevalent modes of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”sardined packedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ travel commuters are forced into!
Fundamental law
ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s encouraging to note that the Police Department too has been re-energised with responsibilities on the Road Traffic Law. For the first time in its 145 year old history, the Sri Lanka Police is going to take the responsibility of handling fire, rescue and paramedical management on the Expressway – needless to emphasise the fact that discipline on the part of drivers and rigid enforcement of the motor law need to go hand in hand.
 Disciplined driving required for super highway. Picture by Tilak Perera |
DIG Ashoka WijetilakaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s said recently that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-drivers should always use the left lane and the right lane should be used only to overtake a vehicleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ needs to go down in gold letters in the annals of Traffic Police in Sri Lanka. Regrettably, to-date, this basic statute is flagrantly broken by almost every motorist while the Traffic Police has been turning a Nelsonian eye. Rigid enforcement of this fundamental law can turn into a money spinner for the Police Department only if traffic officers deployed are conversant with the Law and their function becomes industrious.
Super highway driving is a different kettle of fish. It is far from the unruly driving techniques drivers adapt today. This warrants lane discipline to be thoroughly monitored and strict action taken by mobile patrol Traffic Police units as at high speed the slightest wrong move by a reckless driver can cause vehicle pile-ups causing colossal loss of life and damage.
Confining to books
On November 4 last year, Daily News highlighted Police Headquarters decision to round up motorists who fail to dip headlamps during night driving. On the following day, its Editorial quite appropriately posed the question as to why this law had not been enforced since 1983! Do we see this law being implemented fully at all still? On the contrary, the Police officers in pitch darkness are standing on the middle of road junctions to filter traffic which is an additional burden to drivers!
From November 1, 2011, wearing of seat belts became compulsory, yet we see an umpteen number of drivers who flagrantly break the Law and getting away without being detected. Will fines of Rs 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and suspension of driving licence on law breakers have any effect in such situations? If Traffic Police can be more vigilant and effective, discipline will automatically follow generating additional income to the Police Department which can in turn be used for Police training programmes. If such instruments are not executed properly then the whole conception of introducing laws becomes futile and abortive exercises.
Media in this country has been making a hue and cry on indisciplined private bus drivers, yet without much change the situation continues as a growing cancer repeatedly causing mayhem on roads. Sri Lanka cannot any longer afford to allow such law breaking to continue on the new Expressway and the specially trained Police force needs to be vigilant, mobile and effective by constantly patrolling the super highway and bringing errant drivers to book.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”On- the- spotƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ fines for negligent drivers with a point systems and suspension on driving for one year period for offences, such as, speeding, jumping traffic lights and overtaking from left etc. will undoubtedly be a bitter pill but can cure the present state of chronic disease prevalent among Sri Lankan motorists.
Traffic offenders
The current procedure of dealing with traffic offenders is regarded as antiquated and causing inconvenience to victims. If international norms are to be followed an errant driver can be served with an on-the- spot fine notice, take driverƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s licence by the prosecuting officer and documents forwarded to the office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to deal with it. Only drunken drivers can be referred to the courts. Computerised RMV office can now deal with such cases and return the driving licence to the owner upon receipt of the payment slip to the RMV office.
Today anyone found guilty, say in Anuradhapura, will have to travel all the way to the local Police station to get the surrendered licence back. Although there are laid down procedures to make this easy by sending the payment slip by registered post to the relevant Police station many complain that the system does not work. Once I had to write to Letters to the Editor on behalf of someone to get his licence back from Hambantota. It is alleged that corrupt practices adopted by some men in Police uniform are disgracing the entire Police force.
Undoubtedly the Police is making a desperate attempt by introducing various methods to educate the Lankan motorists but appears to be faced with a problem, as the Police Commissioner himself has spelt out, that many recruits who were trained only to handle guns during the terrorist insurgency need to be given refresher and orientation courses on policing and/or traffic matters.
LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hope the new batch of specially recruited Police solely for the Expressway will come out with flying colours to set an example for the rest of the Force to emulate.
November 22nd, 2011 at 8:12 am
Please let me add a lament to your discussion on the Southern Highway.
It is sad to say that either the police are indifferent, ignorant of the traffic rules and regulations or some errant officers use it as a lucrative business. There are no other explanations as to why they grin on the side of the road while the drivers overtake on the left side and cut across the other drivers without signals and indicators. Most drivers always drive, hugging the dotted road markings, blocking the passage of the other drivers and making it difficult for the other drivers to make a judgement They are always in a hurry, has absolutely no regard for the other drivers, toot the horn incessantly irritating the ones who wish to drive according to the rules. On the whole driving is a very stressful affair in Sri Lanka.
There is no point in criticising the system, drivers or the police if we are unable to offer a solution.
If I am not wrong I remember there used to be a pictorial television programme educating the public of the traffic rules and how to behave on the road. If this is not so it is high time the television channels produce such in association with the traffic police. This could have been useful instead of the advertising they use to introduce the Southern Highway. They could have shown graphically how to travel on the new road. The same rules apply on the other roads only difference being that such speeds could never be attained on the normal roads, although some who are immune to the law do achieve speeds even now.
The school is a good place to start the education of the good road behaviour. It is sad though, but if one were to get on the road when the schools close, one could see the despicable way the teachers and the students behave on the road. You could see the teachers crossing with small children, could be their family, just a few yards away from the pedestrian crossings. What training or example are they giving their children, I wonder? It is high time the Honourable Minister of Education bring this up with his charge. In other countries the road use is taught in the junior school. The children are taken on the road with reflective garments, taught how to walk on the right side of the road, how to cross, and how to ride a cycle. Theyget a certificate to encourage good practice.
The examiners who give these drivers their Certificate should be responsible for their behaviour and should be made accountable. The drivers should be forced to drive with a Green (L) board for one or two years after passing the licence test during which they could be observed by the Police and the other drivers. That will benefit the others as well as the learners. As it stands, a driver who obtains licence today has the right to be let loose on the Southern Highway immediately after, for the detriment of all the users, not that many others who take the rout on the 27th will be any betterthough.
You mentioned the monetary advantage to the police by way of fines. Most of the police officers are well aware of that. One does not have to incentivise them in that department. I would suggest that the errant drivers be dragged into courts which itself is a deterrent, the punishment should be road traffic rehabilitation classes at a cost which they have to fork out, and attend. The rehabilitation could be an industry of great magnitude. One could have a special area where they will have to practice and show their skill to the satisfaction of the inspectors. The place should be as inconvenient as possible. One should have honest inspectors and fool proof methods to see that the errant driver attends the classes. Otherwise they may send substitutes, specially the politically powerful and judicially immune people.
The pedestrians on our roads are ignorant, suicidal, sometimes arrogant or stupid. They take chances, one too many. We have had roads and motor vehicles for more than a half century, some of them own them too, but when on foot they think they are invincible. They do cross the road in front of vehicles, sometimes watch one side of the road and dart across the other side. They are very shy or reluctant to use the pedestrian crossing, crossing the road a few yards before or after. In other words they cross the road anywhere. One can observe cripples begging dodging the traffic, (reminds me of the errant prdestrians),where there are police watching. The police must be either blind or in their pockets. They could be very kind sympathetic policemen. Back to the pedestrian crossing, I do not blame the pedestrians. I too am afraid to cross them as well, as the drivers are either blind to or has completely disregard to them. I wonder if they would do that if their mother, father, daughter, son or a friend were on crossing. Why don’t they think that the person on road could be one of the above and have a bit of compassion?
There is another breed of road users who are above law or think the rules do not apply to them. They are the three and the two wheelers. They are rule to themselves. I do not understand how the police ignore them? They are the scourge on the road. They dart across lanes; lines, overtake on the left, embarrass all the other road users and put them in difficulty. They hardly use the indicators. If ever they use, they are permanent to one side or to the other.
I hope and wish the Sothern Highway all the success!!