Chanaka Bandarage

Clearly,  the volume of traffic on our Expressways is insufficient. Thus, the revenue that the government receives from them is less.

Only about 20% of the country’s population – those who own a car/vehicle reap the benefit of the Expressways. A few luxury buses (who charge a higher fare) are allowed to carry passengers on Expressways; meaning the poor who does intercity travel on ordinary buses (InterCity buses) are excluded from using the Expressways.

Motorcycles (including scooters), three wheelers and InterCity Buses comprise more than 65% of Sri Lanka’s registered motorised vehicles.  These three categories are excluded from the Expressways.

The fact that Sri Lanka’s Expressways are confined only to high income earners is discriminatory.  All people, even the poorest, are paying off the massive foreign debts borrowed to build the Expressways.

In the night, the Expressways are like ghost towns, they are totally empty. This is not so in developed countries. They are busy all the time.

On the other hand, the roads that feed the Expressways (ie, High Level Road, Galle Road, Kandy Road, Old (Avissawella) Road, Negambo Road, Athurugiriya/Kottawa roads) are  jam-packed with vehicles especially with three wheelers, motorbikes and InterCity buses (poor man’s vehicles).  They should be allowed to ply on the Expressways.

Expressways must be opened up for these vehicles (the 3 categories mentioned in the above paragraph).

This could be carefully done as a Pilot Project for 3 months. If successful, the arrangement should be made permanent.

Allowing three wheelers, motorbikes/scooters and InterCity buses to ply on the Expressways mean they will receive a major boost in vehicle volumes.

The system suggested herein is healthy for the government coffers, as due to it the Expressways will start receiving massive new revenue. Most importantly, this will be a major solution to the country’s nightmarish traffic problem. The traffic on the main arterial roads will be significantly reduced. This will have an effect on all the roads.

True some of the poor man’s vehicles may not be able to travel at the current maximum speed of 100 km per hour, but do we really need to maintain such a high-speed limit? The most important issues are the cutting down of vehicular traffic on main roads and utilising Expressways to their maximum potential. 

In Sri Lanka, we are a small nation. It is possible to reach any destination by road within a relatively short period (say 5 -7 hours). Like other countries we do not travel thousands of kms in one trip.

Rather than the speed, Expressways maintaining a smooth, non-stop traffic flow is the most important factor.

Because there are no traffic lights on Expressways, all the vehicles would travel smoothly on them – not at the current high speed though, but at a moderate speed.

Huge container lorries are currently allowed on our Expressways. They do not run at the maximum speed of 100 km per hour.

Say, a maximum speed limit of  50 km per hour is set for three wheelers and scooters and 80 km per hour for all other vehicles; we would be able to create a Win/Win situation.

After this change, instead of Expressways, let us call them ‘Highways’.

During very busy periods (April New Year, Christmas holidays) the three wheelers and motorbikes could largely be confined to the left lane only or their access to the Expressways could be  totally curtailed.

In Sri Lanka, the Expressways were created to cater to (corrupt) politicians to drive at break neck speed from the deep south to Colombo and back, in their ultra-luxury vehicles. Such  vehicles comprise less than 3% of the country’s vehicle population.

This discrimination must come to an end.

Some may laugh at this proposition – that to allow motorcycles, 3 wheelers and InterCity buses to ply on Expressways; only a bald, brave, visionary leader would embark on such a move. Lee Kwan Yu was not scared to ban chewing gum in Singapore (to maintain clean streets and public transport).

Of course car owners (especially the rich) will strongly oppose this suggestion – as they would not be able to ‘fly’ on Expressways, and that they will have to share the Expressways with the poor man’s vehicles.

Due to bumper to bumper traffic in all other roads, everyone suffers significantly currently. So, in the long run all will benefit.

A good leader will take decisions considering the best interests of the country.

In regards to Australia and New Zealand, InterCity buses, motorcycles and even push cyclists are allowed to run on their Expressways. They do not have three wheelers. Those governments want all citizens to benefit from the available public facilities.

These two countries have only banned certain land vehicles (like tractors) and pedestrians from entering the Expressways. Their Expressways are always busy (24/7) and earn terrific incomes for the governments.  The situation in most western countries is similar. They build their Expressways for all people, not just to a privileged few. Unlike ours, their Expressways are well lit in the night.