The public interest must be served

The Government's decision to say 'no' to the unreasonable demands of private bus operatives' associations is bound to earn for it the accolades of an appreciative public. Deputy Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna could very well have been voicing the general opinion of the people when he said that the Government is not prepared to accept the terms and conditions, on some current issues, put forward by the private bus sector which has struck once again, even without intimating to the State that it was intending to do so.

It is the considered opinion of the people that a tail-wags-the-dog situation cannot be allowed to prevail. The Government has no choice but to rule in the interests of the people and in doing so it cannot bend to the wishes of those forces which are trying to deflect it from this course.

We believe that the State is right in requiring errant private bus operatives to pay a higher fine for traffic offences, which are currently proliferating and proving uncontainable. The relevant law seeks to promote the public good and cannot be withdrawn or diluted on account of the fact that road accidents caused by private buses are, today, a killer of the first order.

Private bus operatives should opt to observe road rules and thereby cater to the common good or pay the penalty for their negligence and recklessness. On the other hand, if the Increases of Fines Act No. 12 of 2005 is ensuring the safety and well being of the people, the Government is obliged to continue to enforce it. It cannot be seen as bowing to the wishes of errant private bus operatives. The law must prevail.

We hope the current crisis would provoke some fresh thinking among all concerned. The private bus sector must realize that it just cannot have its way at the expense of the public. It must adhere to the law of the land and place a supreme value on public safety. Right now, raking in the shekels seems to be the sole motive of private bus operators.

The comfort and security of commuters seem to be farthest from their minds. The least private bus crews could do is treat their commuters civilly. But on this score too, they are almost always found to be wanting. It is unfortunate that private bus operatives do not seem to realise that by serving the public scrupulously, they would be only attracting more and more customers and thereby improving their earning prospects.

The State, on the other hand, needs to realise that it cannot afford to rely wholly on private interests to deliver public services, to the required standards. We believe the initial blunder was made when the public transport system was allowed to weaken itself in the face of the burgeoning private bus sector.

The State cannot allow itself to be held to ransom by private interests, whose sole preoccupation is private profit. Steady progress must be made in the direction of rebuilding the public bus system.

The last mile

Indian Ocean nations have been clamouring for a tsunami warning system since the giant waves claimed more than 230,000 lives in December. While a fully-fledged system may take years to install and run, a basic tsunami alert system is already taking shape around the Indian Ocean. Moreover, media establishments are now more alert to earthquakes, as we witnessed in March.

Indian Ocean nations agreed at the end of a three-day meeting in Perth on Friday to plant dozens of high-tech seabed sensors and buoys around the Indian Ocean that would more accurately and quickly detect a tsunami. Delegates at the meeting also proposed setting up seven regional tsunami warning centres that would receive data from the ocean gauges, assess the risks, and warn 27 nations around the Indian Ocean rim.

Nevertheless, making sure warnings reach impoverished coastal villages remains problematic in most countries. There are many families who have no access to radio, television, fixed phones and mobile phones. Most villages rarely have public address systems which can be set up in minutes in an emergency.

This so-called "last mile" is a hurdle that disaster management experts will have to clear. The current drive to rehabilitate and improve infrastructure facilities in coastal should allow for a tsunami warning system.

It is also not an issue of warnings per se. Communities must be educated on evacuation drills, survival skills and disaster preparedness. The Police and Security Forces must maintain a close rapport with residents in their areas to face any emergency. Community centres can be used for awareness programmes at village level while the electronic media can spread the message nationally.

A sophisticated tsunami warning system is not cheap to install and maintain. Each ocean buoy and sensor costs around U$ 300,000 each and have to be replaced every two years. No country in the region will be able to foot this bill on its own. This is why the assistance of the rich nations and cooperation among the Indian Ocean Rim countries are vital for sustaining a system that can potentially save thousands of lives.