The rise in vehicle numbers

We reported yesterday that 150,000 more vehicles have flooded our roads in the in the first half of this year. According to the Department of Motor Traffic this amounts to a 14,000 increase compared to the corresponding period in 2006.

This revelation is sure to draw mixed reactions among different segments of the public. There will be those who will treat this as a positive economic indicator for a Third World country such as Sri Lanka plagued by a protracted conflict nation while there will be others who will be quick to point to the glaring disparity between the haves and have nots as mirrored by the opulence in the cities.

Those who espouse the former theory are bound to point out that contrary to the bleak economic picture being painted by some critics the country can still make a fair claim to be an emerging Third World economy. They will also be wont to refer to the astonishment expressed by foreign visitors who dispute the status attached to Sri Lanka of being a Third World economy.

There is some credence attached to this school of thought given the never ending stream of vehicles that ply our roads at any given time almost cheek by jowl - most of them Pajeros, Prados, BMWs and other limousines owned by the mega rich that has added to the picture of opulence.

While the Government may take pride in this distinction attached to the country it would do well to take cognisance of the downside of this whole development.

It is clear that the country is in the throes of an energy crisis compounded by the rise in world oil prices and the addition of 150,000 fuel guzzling vehicles into the existing volume - and within six months at that - is not a very pleasing prospect.

It was only the other day that we editorially commented on the drastic measures that need to be taken to save the country’s galloping fuel bill. The Government of course cannot force vehicles off the roads in the name of austerity but immediate measures should be taken to curb the heavy volume of vehicles that are choking our highways.

At a time the country is facing a huge import bill the volume of vehicle imports should also stir the Government into action. A world-class public transport system is one way of persuading people to give up their cars at least on the trip to and from office.

Another is to encourage the very few local manufacturers of motor vehicles to increase the local value addition of their vehicles by granting more concessions, so that a substantial saving could be made in foreign exchange.

One also needs to look at the duty structure for diesel passenger vehicles, which is out of sync with the rest of the world. The idea of charging a 400 per cent duty on diesel passenger vehicles is possibly to prevent the private motorist from enjoying the subsidy granted to goods and passenger transporters.

But the authorities have overlooked the fact that today’s diesel vehicles are ultra-fuel efficient and ultra-clean. In other words, a diesel vehicle can go much further on a litre of fuel than a petrol vehicle of a similar engine capacity.

One can imagine the savings in terms of foreign exchange if the bulk of our vehicles were diesel-powered, as in Europe and increasingly in India.

Little has been done in the expansion of road works by successive Governments which has led to this sorry status quo. Added to this is the economic cost to the country through man hours lost on the roads.

Taken in combination this could inflict a huge dent on the country’s GDP growth. Hence the need for drastic action. It is in this context that we welcome the accelerated construction of several expressways by the present administration, which will reduce journey times and hence, fuel bills.

We should consider the environmental effects of the increase in the volume of motor vehicles on our roads. In fact, many countries are now taxing vehicles according to their carbon dioxide emissions, not engine size. Such a system should be adopted here as well.

Today we see many unroadworthy vehicles cluttering up our High ways spewing clouds of thick black smoke posing a grave health hazard. However, law enforcement officers turn a blind eye to these infringements.

We see the hilarious conduct of the Traffic Police wearing handkerchief masks to escape noxious vehicle emissions while they are actually required to apprehend the offenders. Such vehicles must be phased off the road, at least by giving duty concessions for such owners to buy new vehicles.

All these factors must be taken into account to formulate a national vehicle/road transport policy that also accommodates future requirements.