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This is in reference to a tragic accident that took the life of a
six-year-old girl attending St. Lawrence’s School, Colombo 6, who was
run over by a reversing bus at Moratuwa.
Why did the child’s father take the risk of allowing this little girl
to ride on the petrol tank of his motorcycle? May be, the parents cannot
afford to pay the exorbitant school van charges.
Where are the additional buses as promised by the transport
authorities for travel by schoolchildren, what about the concessionary
(season) tickets? Minister of Transport give this matter a serious
thought before more tragic events take place.
Is there some rule/regulation regarding the number of people
(children included) that can be allowed to ride on a motorcycle? Police
and registrar of Motor Vehicles, please take note.
Another crying need is the overweight of school bags carried by
students. Politicians are in the habit of shouting their voices hoarse,
during election time, about children being the future of our country.
Minister of Eduction and school authorities please take note that the
children who escape these calamities (accidents and heavy school bag
back packs) will end up crippled adults or hunch back adults and will be
of no use to the country at all.
Why don’t the authorities concerned wake up from their slumber and
remedy this situation before it is too late.
C. J. WILSON – Dehiwela
On Monday April 3, 2008, I made a sad decision. I returned my library
books and chose not to borrow for the first time in over a decade.
This for a book addict was akin to going ‘cold turkey’ to use a term
that identifies a person who decides to give up an addiction totally and
abruptly. I am not planning to give up my membership of over a decade
because the Library provides the best facilities to the public and the
staff are courteous and helpful.
But parking a vehicle is almost impossible as there are many
commercial and educational establishments in the area. Crossing the road
is a nightmare for pedestrians as motorists have come to think of
Duplication Road as a race track since the uni-flow system was
introduced.
Pedestrians are reduced to scuttling for dear life on the crossings.
Problems do not end there. Dodging the limousines that go up to the
gates of the British Council to drop off students and the vehicles that
have come to the business establishments and the iron chains that have
been strung across the gates of the politician’s residence on the road
are irritations as well as hazards.
It is reassuring that the British Council has provided facilities to
minimise the risk of a terrorist attack within its premises. But it is
irritating as well as dangerous trying to exit through the stiff one at
a time wicket gate with a load of books when you are not in your prime.
In a situation of sudden sickness it might prove a hazard as well.
The issues mentioned above have made the Library fairly inaccessible and
the administration of the library as well as the local authorities
should focus on the issue urgently.
It seems to have become an area where ‘accidents wait to happen’ as
there are many young students as well as senior citizens who endure the
difficulties to reach the facilities.
Of course security measures are necessary in any establishment. Sadly
here too as always in the desire to secure the establishment has created
an insecure situation for the general public.
A traffic light near the crossings and a more orderly system of
traffic management on the road leading to the British Council and a
proper parking facility for the British Council would be welcome.
MAYANTHIE JAYASINGHE - Nugegoda
May I draw the attention of the authorities to the despicable
behaviour of certain policemen.
Once I happened to accompany a policeman in a hotel for refreshment.
Soon after eating some buns the policeman bought a cigarette and started
smoking violating the restriction of smoking inside the hotel.
He caused non smokers to inhale the smoking and set a bad example to
other such violators of the rule. Even the Manager of the hotel was
helpless in preventing the policeman from smoking in the hotel among the
non-smokers.
M.Y.M. MEEADH - Kandy
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