Act now to end road lawlessness
The horrific collision in Kosgoda between a beer-laden
container truck and an SLTB bus filled with commuters, which claimed
over 20 lives and injured scores of others, has plunged Sri Lanka into a
state of shock. It is yet another traumatic reminder that highway
tragedies, resulting from road indiscipline and lawlessness, have taken
on endemic proportions in this country.
Initial inquiries indicate that the Kosgoda tragedy was triggered by
the container truck which was being driven recklessly. This is a matter
which requires further investigation. Besides compounding the traffic
congestion on our highways most heavy vehicles are now known to be
driven both fast and negligently, thus adding to the disquieting bedlam
on our roads.
We would be labouring the obvious by saying that highway chaos is
raging unchecked on our roads. Times without number we have called for
strong and rigorous remedial measures for this crisis in this comment
but to no avail.
How many more precious lives need to be meaninglessly lost in road
accidents, before the authorities, including the law enforcers, alert
themselves to the monstrous and monumental proportions the problem has
assumed? Is human life being considered something which could be trifled
with and relegated to the margins of consciousness or even forgotten
completely?
If the answers to these questions are in the negative, the
authorities should have at least tried to alleviate the crisis of road
lawlessness. The fact that hardly anything substantial has been done
about road accidents indicates that human life has, indeed, been
steadily devalued by some.
We hope we would be proved wrong on this question. If our assumptions
are to be completely refuted the necessary remedial measures must be
taken forthwith to stem the bloodletting on our roads. If such
countermeasures are not taken, our worst fears would be confirmed. That
is, road lawlessness is being happily winked at.
So, we hope by raising these issues afresh we would be galvanizing
the State agencies concerned into drastic action. There is no getting
away from the need to punish very severely all road offenders. Rigorous
Imprisonment is not too much to ask.
The more prohibitive the price to be paid, the more careful would be
our motorists and other road users. The Traffic Police in particular,
should keep their eyes peeled and use the big stick on all traffic
offenders. Stringent, drastic action could no longer be postponed.
Of course, this is not a matter for the Police only. A number of
State agencies are implicated in this crisis, including the Registrar of
Motor Vehicles Department. Far too many incompetent persons are behind
the wheel today and it is the RMV which is responsible for this
appalling state of affairs.
Besides, “Demon drivers” are behind the wheels of some private buses.
Why are such undesirables being given driving licences as well as route
permits?
Therefore, mistakes are being made down the line. It is a compounded
crisis featuring a number of actors and stakeholders. In the name of
humanity we call for a careful unravelling of this crisis. No more time
could be lost. Lives must be saved. Act now, to end this outrageous
state of affairs on our roads. |
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American Red Indian leader Great Seattle while
writing a letter addressed to the American President as far back in
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people and questioned how can one sell or purchase the sky, air,
earth and warmth. Every glittering pine, every sandyshore, every
mist in the dark jungles, every tree, every creeper, every stream,
every waterfall, every animal, every bee, every fly etc. are part of
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