Disciplining three-wheeler drivers

Lalith Dharmasekara Vithanage

I write with reference to the article “Police should discipline three-wheeler drivers” by Dr. Wimal Wickramasinghe, which was published in the Daily News last month.

First of all, let me thank Dr. Wickramasinghe for taking great pains to make a detailed analysis of the three-wheeler industry which serves as a means of livelihood for a substantial proportion of the population.

It is my experience that the majority of Sri Lankan drivers, including three-wheeler drivers of course, irrespective of case, creed or class, are responsible for most of the offenses Dr. Wickramasinghe has enumerated in his article. It is totally unfair to put the blame squarely on three-wheeler drivers for “road rage”.

They are, at best, serving the general public, whereas most of the private and public sector officials are driving around in gas-guzzlers, contributing to the oil crisis. Why are they being singled out at every turn? Is it because they seem lowly in the eyes of Dr. Wickramasinghe? Has he never come across any instances where VIPs take the law unto their hands on the road?

Wasn’t it only recently that a well-known professor was fined in the Moratuwa area and his driving license taken by the police for errant driving? To my understanding, it is these learned professors who make policy decisions regarding how best to ensure discipline on the road.

I would like to know what our learned doctor suggest that the traffic policemen do when rules are broken by the very people who laid down those rules. Turn a blind eye? Is the kind of punishment meted out to the offender dependent on his class, education or social status? Shouldn’t all be equal before the law?

Alas, as with everything else in this country, the high-and-mighty conveniently finds a scapegoat in three-wheeler drivers not only for indiscipline on the road but also for all evils in society.

Every year the Government spends millions of rupees on free education. It is the tax payer’s money that is spent on educating doctors, engineers, lawyers, professors and the like. They have an obligation to serve the people who financed their education. Unfortunately, what we see today is a policy of “biting the hand that feeds them.”

The latest example of this would be the trade union action by doctors and nurses at the Ratnapura Hospital where these so-called professionals took turns in holding the poor patients to ransom.

Suffice it to say that it is totally unbecoming of learned people like Dr. Wickramasinghe to suggest short-term measures to tackle problems, whereas they should get to the root of the problems and come up with long-term practical solutions.

Let me refresh his memory as to the steps taken in 2003 by the then Defense Secretary to minimise traffic-related offenses. He set up “Friends on the Road” in order to encourage self-regulation among drivers.

As the Chairman of the All-island Three-wheeler Drivers’ Welfare Association, I am proud to say that our association welcomed the decision and joined in the effort to bring about discipline among drivers as we felt that decision was taken in the interest of the general public that we serve.

Prof. Amal Kumarage, Prof. Saman Bandara, Dr. D. S. Jayaweera, retired senior DIG T. Perimpanayagam, Chairman of the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority M.J. Somasiri, Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Authority Roomy Marshook, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and the Commissioner of Motor Traffic are some of the well-known personalities that have made a significant contribution towards the improvement and standardization of the three-wheeler industry.

Dr. Wickramasinghe perhaps may not know that the All-island Three-wheeler Drivers’ Welfare Association, putting duties before rights, launched a campaign nine years ago under the patronage of retired senior DIG Bodhi Liyanage with the aim of bringing about discipline among three-wheeler drivers.

Not only were we the only association that wholeheartedly supported the government decision to increase the fine against errant drivers in the year 2005 but we also backed the “one-way” traffic plan introduced by retired DIG (Traffic) Lafeer with the aim of easing traffic congestion within the City of Colombo.

As a responsible and duty-bound organisation, we introduced the taxi meter three and a half years ago in order to prevent passengers being charged unreasonably. Let me emphasize the fact that we did not wait for the Government or any other authorities to intervene in this matter but acted on our own in order to provide a quality service to the people.

President R. Premadasa and incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa are two of the great leaders who have made a significant contribution to develop the infrastructure facilities in this country, especially in terms of improving the existent road network, constructing new roads and flyover bridges as a means of easing traffic congestion in main cities.

Because these two leaders understood the importance of transport in a country’s economy, they personally looked into ways and means of improving the road network. Needless to say that having a good road network does help maintain discipline among drivers.

I take this opportunity to draw the attention of President Rajapaksa to the fact that the three-wheeler industry has been in existence for almost three decades now, providing subsistence to around 12.5% of the Sri Lankan population, but precious little has been done by successive Governments to administer it under a proper legal framework.

We urge you to intervene in this matter and help upgrade an industry that actively contributes to the transport sector.

In the meantime, I would like to invite Dr. Wickramasinghe to visit our web site at www.3wheellanka.com which will enlighten him as to the good work carried out by our association.

The writer is Chairman All-island Three-wheeler Drivers’ Welfare Association