Suggestions and proposals for improvement of road network

ROAD NETWORK: A badly maintained and unplanned road network with uneven road surfaces is a heavy contributor to vehicle damage and road accidents. Ceylon Society for the Prevention of Accidents (CeSPA) would therefore recommend that priority be given to improvement of the road network, the widening and the improvement of surfaces of roads.

Most new roads or road expansion and development is done utilising Donor Funds and grants. The following were meant to be used for the development and maintenance of roads:

Revenue collected from:

1. Road tax annual licence fees

2. Luxury and semi luxury tax

3. A tax of Rs. one from a litre of petrol and Cents 50 from a litre of diesel

4. Road development tax collected with insurance premium

5. Customs levies from the import of motor vehicles

6. Economic service charge (from any business with over fifty million turnover)

Since it has now become a matter of national importance we suggest that serious consideration be given to utilise these funds for the said purposes, without depending on any other form of funding.

* Lane discipline

Road markings are very important. Without a smooth road surface, road marking is difficult. Without road markings traffic lane discipline cannot be expected. Thus the authorities concerned should be instructed to implement a road marking scheme at their earliest and to enforce compliance by motorists.

* Pavements

Pavements are built for pedestrians to move freely and safely. In most areas of the Colombo district pavements are used for businesses. This makes the pedestrians use the road and they expose themselves to hazards. We suggest that the authorities concerned jointly clear the pavements of the obstructions and have well laid surfaces for pedestrians to move safely and conveniently.

* One way traffic

There are several roads within the city of Colombo, which are narrow. They are just sufficient for two lanes of vehicles to move up and down. Often some drivers park vehicles, blocking one lane of traffic completely. There are also occasions where drivers park on both sides.

It is also not proper to declare no parking zones without providing parking areas.

Such roads should be identified and made one way, until they are widened.

Alternate parallel narrow roads can be made one way in alternate directions thus avoiding the need to widen existing roads.

* Turning to the right to enter main roads

When a driver attempts to enter from a byroad to a main road by turning right other than at an intersection, it causes the following:

1. Obstruct all lanes of traffic when cut across through the flow of traffic.

2. Blocking a lane in the main road as it obstructs another vehicle from entering the same byroad.

3. Risk of major accident.

4. Waste of precious time and fuel.

Regulations should be drafted to prevent the above unless and otherwise from roundabouts and/or spaces provided for the same.

* Traffic signal lights

It is a common occurrence that signal lights installed in the roads do not function at times. These cause severe traffic congestion and also results in accidents.

The reasons given by the authorities are that they are due to the expiry of maintenance contracts with private companies or sometimes for the non payment of bills.

A special unit should be set up for the maintenance of signal lights and be held responsible for the smooth functioning of them.

* Obstruction to vision of drivers

It is observed that the windscreen glasses both in the front and rear of vehicles are decorated with stickers and ornaments that obstruct the clear vision of the drivers.

Some vehicles are fitted with ornamental lamps and some drivers' even use additionally fitted lamps when driving at night. These create hazards because the oncoming drivers are dazzled and/or distracted and therefore unable to judge distances and gaps. These acts must be detected and the offenders prosecuted.

* Speed governors

Buses used for public transport and also other heavy vehicles are the most dangerous on the roads due to their dimensions and also due to the recklessness and negligence of their drivers.

Driving at excessive and uncontrollable speeds is a regular cause of serious road accidents. It is a known fact that many drivers of these diesel driven vehicles mix petrol with diesel to attain even higher speeds.

Installing a speed governor could control the speed of a vehicle.

We would therefore suggest that regulations be made making it mandatory to install speed governors in the above-mentioned categories of vehicles that are imported to Sri Lanka.

* Noise pollution

It is observed that there is lack of vigilance or a lapse on the part of the authorities and/or regulations with regard to the control of sound levels.

Most vehicles are installed with modified silencers, loud and/or fancy horns and high volume music equipment inside vehicles. All of this result in noise pollution, which causes great discomfort and inconvenience to the students concentrating on studies while travelling and to the public including those residing in houses in the proximity of roads and thoroughfares.

* Air pollution

Exhaust emissions from motor vehicles has an impact on the environment and is a health hazard to humans.

Most hospitals are packed with patients. Some of the recent diseases have even been difficult to be diagnosed. One main reason is due to inhaling of polluted air.

Most of the developed countries do not permit vehicles to be used if they do not comply with emission control standards. Therefore vehicles used in such countries are installed with a device called a catalytic converter.

The function of a catalytic converter is to minimise the emission of the most dangerous exhaust gases such as V.O.C. (un-burnt fuel particles) Used vehicles imported from developed countries have installed in them catalytic converters whereas it is observed that most of the brand new vehicles that are manufactured for the third world Asian market do not have catalytic converters installed in them.

It should be made mandatory that imports be permitted only of vehicles installed with exhaust emission control systems.

* Video cameras

In most developed and developing countries video surveillance cameras are installed on highways to detect traffic offences. They are kept on 24 hours of the day and could be used to provide evidence of an offence.

Among other advantages, the most important is that the knowledge of camera surveillance makes a driver more cautious and disciplined.

Video surveillance cameras must be installed on highways, busy intersections and roundabouts. The cost incurred could be defrayed with the fines imposed and recovered from traffic rule violators.

* Unauthorised accessories

Some vehicles, especially four-wheel drives, are fitted with locally turned out bumpers made out of hard steel. This results in heavy damage to the third party in the event of an accident. Steps must be taken to ban the use of such bumpers and enforce the same.

* Public transport

It is a common occurrence for drivers and conductors to disappear whenever their vehicle is involved in a serious accident. This makes it difficult for the Police to attend to their duties and also for the injured parties to attend to insurance formalities. Often the owner of the bus concerned professes inability to trace the driver. In order to minimise such occurrences following regulations could be made.

1. The drivers and conductors are attired in uniforms.

2. The photographs (wearing the uniform) along with the names and addresses of the driver, conductor and the owner of the vehicle are prominently displayed at a specified space in buses.

3. To make the owner of the vehicle responsible for recruiting only capable and responsible drivers.

4. That owners are held responsible to compensate passengers in the vehicle for injuries caused to them within the buses.

5. The driver and conductor held responsible for compensating passengers if any injuries are caused to them while getting in and getting out from a bus. It is a common scene that drivers of buses proceed to move forward before passengers could get down and often conductors push out aged passengers.

6. Buses having dents of over a specified number of millimeters, or scrape marks of over a specified number of centimeters, or having damaged lamps are not permitted to be used for public transport.

This would ensure that drivers avoid even minor accidents because in the event of such damage they would have to spend their time in repairing the vehicle before it could be used for public transport.

The drivers would then make every effort to minimise even minor accidents.

7. Regular checks are carried out on the braking efficiency of buses and on the tires of buses for uneven and excessive wear.

Most of the above checks can be done while the buses are parked at the bus stands. Officials should ensure that the violators are not allowed to carry passengers until the defects are corrected.

8. It is also noted that buses used for public transport are unclean.

A regulatory body should be established under the environmental Ministry to draft necessary regulations and also to carry out inspections and prosecute violators.

Most of the above matters would also be relevant to three-wheeler taxis, radio cabs and airport taxis, all of which engage in the carrying of passengers for a fee or reward. Strict instructions must be given to enforce all the above requirements.

* Motor cycle parking

Due to lack of awareness programmes, motorcyclists, park across parking slots, which are reserved for vehicles. This reduces parking space for other vehicles. It also makes it inconvenient for drivers to manoeuvre their vehicles to get in and out of parking slots.

Separate parking spaces must be provided for motorcyclist, and steps taken to ensure enforcement.

* Use of protective helmets

The law provides that riders and pillion riders of motorcycles wear helmets. However, it has not been made mandatory for children (who are most vulnerable) travelling on motorcycles to wear helmets. This requirement must be made compulsory for children too.

* Parking at bends

Vehicles are sometimes parked by the roadside at bends. It is dangerous because other drivers could see it only when they are very close and could always be at a distance where they cannot avoid an accident. It is more accident-prone at night.

Instructions should be given to the traffic branches of all police stations to identify such locations within their areas and get the authorities concerned to mark them with no parking signs. (Yellow lines) and also suggest that all traffic branches patrol the highways within their area at frequent intervals to ensure that all possible steps for the prevention of accidents and to avoid traffic congestion are taken.

* Push cyclists

Push cyclists sometimes ride in a manner that is risky to themselves while creating unnecessary disturbance to drivers.

They either cycle across main roads or enter main roads from lanes at uncontrollable speeds. Motorists who try to avoid them often meet with accidents. They also ride without proper reflectors or lights.

Awareness programmes must be held and also the police take steps to prevent them from cycling at night without proper lighting. This could also be done just out side police stations. Further, steps be taken to make it mandatory to prevent the sale of bicycles without the installation of reflectors in them.

* Three-wheeler taxis

It is often seen at junctions and roundabouts where there are signal lights, most drivers of three-wheeler taxis knock off the engine in the middle of the road, when they have to wait for the green light.

They do so with the intention of saving their petrol. When the green light comes on they attempt to start the engine and often cause a long delay.

This delay becomes the beginning of a traffic congestion. Some motorists who attempt to cross lanes and move forward, often end up either with an accident or making the congestion worse.

These three-wheeler taxi drivers who attempt to save their fuel, have no concern about the fuel and precious time wasted by the other motorists, thus engage in this kind of selfish act.

Regulations should be made to keep the engine running at such places and thereafter violators are detected and brought to justice.

* Drivers' licences

New drivers also obstruct the smooth flow of traffic due to incompetence. This is due to insufficient training prior to obtaining a licence.

A minimum of one month's practical training must be made mandatory to qualify for making an application to obtain a driver's license.

As a safety measure, new drivers who have just obtained a licence should be made to carry a visible special identification board (at least for six months) signifying that they are new drivers.

Examiners of motor vehicles should also be made responsible to some extent if such drivers are found to be incompetent in the event they meet with an accident within the first six months.

* Recruitment and training

It is also reported that the Police Department is short of personnel trained in traffic management. One outcome is that the public has to undergo difficulties whenever an accident occurs. It has also resulted in traffic rule violators getting away undetected.

Personnel should be recruited and trained for courteous traffic management.

* Educational programmes

The media (including the electronic media) must be used to educate the road users. It is due to the lack of awareness that most road users are undisciplined.

May we further suggest that the fund built up from the collection of road development tax through the insurance companies be used for this purpose.

* Vehicle maintenance

Easy to understand training programmes on Basic Vehicle Maintenance to be conducted periodically for all drivers and conductors of public transport. This training could be facilitated and sponsored by the Insurance Industry through the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka targeting the cluster companies handling public transport.

* Vehicle thefts

Currently there is a high incidence of vehicle thefts. We recommend that vehicle importers be encouraged to import vehicles which have already been fitted with burglar alarms and also the Registrar of Motor Vehicles introduce modern technological and communication concepts such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) which would enable the tracking of motor vehicles anywhere in the country.

This could be facilitated in collaboration with Mobile Phone Service providers. Insurance Companies can be requested to grant generous discount on Insurance for vehicles installed with Global Positioning System (GPS).

* Effect to the economic growth

Most of the suggestions, proposals and recommendations finally have a direct or indirect impact on the economic growth of the country.

Traffic jams cause a loss of productive time and waste of fuel. Neglected roads cause damages to vehicles.

Both these result in the loss of foreign exchange for the import of fuel and spare parts.

The working efficiency of officers, teachers and all other workers become less when they have a tedious journey with the present state of public transport.

It is of paramount importance to consider the above suggestions, proposals and recommendations, and ensure the implementation and enforcement of them, while giving top priority for the widening and building of roads with a smooth surface.