Archives

by Punyasiri Subasinghe

Senior Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology

Although the traffic on the roads has increased at a very great speed the automobile and railway network dating back to the colonial days has remained almost unchanged except for marginal improvements.

Except for the proposed Southern and Colombo-Katunayake Express Ways (both of them are proposed toll roads) all other World Bank sponsored, (1) Colombo-Kandy, (2) Colombo-Hambantota, (3) Greater Colombo and Southern Province Road Linkages (500 km) and Asian Development Bank sponsored, (1) Colombo-Ratnapura-Wellawaya, (2) Ambepussa-Hatton, (3) Dambulla-Anuradhapura, projects are meant to rehabilitate the existing road network, improving the surface but not widening them. The shadow projects proposing to divert the out going traffic through inner and outer circles would not give much help to ease the traffic congestion in the city and Greater Colombo Area as the bulk of the activities needing transport are located within the Greater Colombo Area.

The current transport crisis in the Greater Colombo area emerged wasting thousands of productive manhours on roads.

The present transport crisis / impasse / breakdown in the Greater Colombo Area could be quite clearly seen in the traffic congestion along almost of all the major trunk roads leading to Colombo.

(1) Galle Road congestion starts from Kalutara-Panadura, is intensified after Ratmalana, and leads to vehicles inching their way after Dehiwala.

(2) High Level Road congestion starts from Homagama-Kottawa area, is intensified after Maharagama and leads to vehicles inching their way after Nugegoda.

(3) Negombo-Katunayake Road congestion starts from Ja-Ela-Kandana area and leads to vehicles inching their way after Wattala.

(4) Kandy-Colombo road congestion starts from Yakkalamulla - Kadawatha area makes another procession towards Colombo from Kiribathgoda.

(5) Hanwella low lying road congestion starts from Habarakada- Aturugiriya area and leads to vehicles inching their way after Malabe-Koswatta.

This traffic congestion starts from about 6 a.m. almost on all the roads with fleets of school vehicles and continues until about 10 p.m. with returning evening workers with intermittent brief respites. In a congested hour it takes nearly two hours to reach Colombo from Panadura whereas the train takes only 45 minutes and only about 20 minutes by the electric train.

Hence, there is a burning need for planning and implementing a proper transport project involving the city area, solving the transport impasse now being experienced which will be much more aggravated by not providing the required commuter and material mobility and be debilitating to the national economic performance. In order to maintain the economic dynamism generated in the national economy this aggravated transport problem has to be solved immediately.

As there is limited scope for evolving alternative motorways correcting the zig zag motorways leading to traffic congestion due to financial and social constraints involving the acquisition of high value land displacing a large number of families, one has to look at the other alternative which is that railway system be overhauled to suit the present needs.

The present railway projects envisage extensions of the railway from terminal points to join Kataragama, Potuwil, Nanuoya-Ragala and won't ease nodal traffic congestion, except in the cases of the Ragama-Maradana third line and broad-gauged Avissawella line projects, to a certain extent. At present railway traffic has been improved to run trains adhering to the timetable and utilising new locomotives.

But the railway has not yet had much of an effect on attracting commuters and material transport which can be done by the railways easing the traffic congestion evident in the city area. It has been reported that the railway caters only to 7 per cent of the commuters and 15 per cent of goods transported in the island which is a tiny fraction of the huge potential railway capability.

Therefore it is suggested that a monorail system be adopted in the Colombo City and suburban areas, as has been done in Sydney, Australia and capital cities in the other parts of the world.

The underground city suburban railway metro grid system seen in London, Paris and other major cities cannot be adopted here as it involves excessive funds which cannot be met by a developing country like Sri Lanka.

The monorail system which could be erected along and over the existing one, as much as using the not much congested roads utilising concrete grid work could be much less costly than the subterranean railway metro system.

It is proposed to have three monorail circles.

(A) The Inner Circle would ease the most congested city core area joining the port, financial, business, judicial, health, education and administration concentrations. The circle suggested would join Fort with Pettah, Hulftsdorp, Maradana, Borella, Independence Square, Bambalapitiya, Kollupitiya, Town Hall, Union Place and Slave Island area.

(B) A North Circle is suggested joining the Fort with the Port and storing establishments, sundry industrial establishments, motor and spare parts establishments located along Aluthmawata road, Modera, Sedawattha, Dematagoda-Kolonnawa area, Panchikawatta and Maradana.

(C) The South Circle could serve them extensive business, administration and residential concentrations along the line Borella, Rajagiriya, Jayawardanapura Kotte, Etul Kotte, Pita Kotte, Nugegoda, Kalubowila, Dehiwela, Wellawatte joining the inner circle at Bambalapitiya or diverting from Wellawatte to join Narahenpita area with Borella.

A non-stop two way electrified monorail system could ease the almost stationary traffic originating along those noted trunk motor roads leading to the city. This will ease the city area not only from traffic congestion but also from noise and air pollution emanating from stationary motor vehicles.

The electrification of existing railways has been proposed in a number of studies and the most recent ones are as follows:

(1) Sofrerail, France (1991) - Rs. 17.5 bn.

(2) Japanese Transport Consultation Association (1990) - Rs. 15.0 bn.

(3) Sri Lanka Railway (SLR) - Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) (1991) - Rs. 8.4 bn.

Although there are differences in those detailed projects they basically suggest the electrification of the Colombo based coastal railway lines.

For example the SLR/CEB railway electrification project consists of four phases as follows:

Phase 1 - Colombo Fort to Ragama: Rs. 1.3 bn.

Phase 2 - Colombo Fort to Kalutara South: Rs. 2.2 bn.

Phase 3 - Ragama to Polgahawela: Rs. 3.5 bn.

Phase 4 - Ragama to Negombo (including airport branch line): Rs. 1.4 bn.

Total: Rs. 8.4 bn.

It must be emphasised that these electrification projects will improve the speed of commuter travel and material transport, at higher frequencies, contracting distances, thereby spreading industrial and business activities to those areas which lag behind, covering large parts of the Colombo - Gampaha and Kalutara administrative districts.

Although the initial costs are high the electrified railway would provide a cost-effective and environmentally sound transport mode reducing transport fuel costs by large amounts and utilizing cheap non peak hour electricity to improve the transport of men and material which really is the prime factor moving the wheels of industrialisation of Sri Lanka.

As suggested by Mr. P. Rajagopal (1993) this railway electrification project could be extended to serve the greater hinterland not only ease in the traffic congestion but giving a greater impetus to a rapid industrialisation programme at a much lower cost involving a Colombo-based larger hinterland providing employment and pleasant residences as indicated in the preamble to this paper.

The proposed efficient low cost modern faster electrified railway transport system opening new areas exposing their low cost human and rich natural resources and most of which are already served by the national hydro-electricity grid would definitely be a magnet pulling a larger influx of foreign investors as well as local investors to these areas, integrating them closely into the national economy.

This concept of attracting industries to earlier "backwash" areas utilising their labour, raw materials and markets to develop these areas hitherto utilised to serve the industries centered in the Greater Colombo Area could be spreaded to further distant areas constructing new electric railway lines for every 25 or 30 or 50 miles parallel to this proposed circular railways in the years to come.

(1) The two way North Circle (loop) joins Colombo with Negombo and opens new areas of Katana-Dunagaha, Divulapitiya, Veyangoda to join the existing rail track to Colombo. Again it starts from Veyangoda opening new areas of Radawana, Pugoda, Dompe, Homagama, Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, Talangama.

(2) The two way South Circle joins the Colombo-Homagama stretch opening new areas of Polgasowita, Kahatuduwa, Gonapola, Bandaragama, Gonaduwa, Kalutara joining the existing Southern coastal railway. As the proposed Southern Express Way runs through Bandaragama serving those areas, it may be appropriate to extend the Colombo-Homagama track to Padukka and join with Hanwella, Kendelpitiya, Horana, Kehelhenawa, Galpatha and Kalutara expanding the proposed Southern Loop.

Appropriately joining these two projects.

(1) Two Way Electrified Monorail Circular System for Greater Colombo Area (3 circles).

(2) Two Way Electrified Railway Circular System for a Greater Colombo Hinterland (2 circles).

This could not only solve the threat of a collapsing transport system but also could provide a greater impetus to another phase of the much needed industrialisation programme assisting to establish industrial, business, and residential belts even beyond the larger hinterland.

This two way monorail and railway twin project apparently involve huge cost. This has to be met with the help of international donor agencies. The international community could make another generous contribution to Sri Lanka undertaking this project devised appropriately in stages as was done with regard to the Mahaweli Accelerated Project not only as a mark of recognition but also to further strengthen the foremost position of Sri Lanka shown in the high quality of life among third word countries.

They could also contribute to rapid industrialisation in Sri Lanka now the most liberalised South Asian economy, assisting the development of another spate of foreign investment, giving mutual benefits, exporting to rapidly developing Asian-Pacific.

Region (including North America), European, Middle Eastern and African regions, benefiting its central location and also its very close proximity to International East-West Sea Route (six miles to Galle harbour). It is the duty of the Government to provide the hardware (the infrastructure, specially transport) for a rapid industrialisation which has to be shouldered by the promising private sector.

The counterpart capital for these projects could come from the substantial savings of captive sources such as the Employment Provident Fund, resulting in a disciplined macro-economic policy of reducing larger budget deficits. Further it is appropriate to seek funds also from the private sector on the principles of Build Operate and Own (BOO) or Build Operate and Transfer (BOT). Transport provides for mobility of workers and resources to produce the national output. Although there has been an increase in economic activity, the transport needs necessary for it have not been met, particularly in the Greater Colombo Area.

Before this shortcoming begins to dissipate the dynamism of the economy, the transport facility - the lubricant necessary for running the various wheels of the economy - has to be improved tremendously by taking a revolutionary step in the field of transport. Hence it is very appropriate to give serious thought to the proposed Twin Project of the Electrified Two Way Circular Monorail and Rail Project serving the Greater Colombo Area and also serving the Greater Colombo Hinterland.

(The ideas and opinions expressed here are personal to the writer and they do not reflect in anyway the opinions of the institutions he serves)

(Courtesy: Economic Review)

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager