Transit shelters: A timely move

A transit shelter to house stranded passengers in the city of Colombo at night is a timely act of the Government. A Colombo University survey has revealed that over 100 passengers get stranded daily in Colombo at night.

Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma who laid the foundation stone for the first transit centre, named Colombagedera, quite rightly pointed out the crimes perpetrated on young girls and mothers who get stranded without transport at night. President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s move to construct these centres to ensure the security of stranded commuters should be greatly appreciated.

As Minister Alahapperuma pointed out, thousands from the outstations arrive in Colombo daily for various needs and tasks. At times, they finish those assignments quite late in the day and get stranded if the last bus or the train is missed.

Then, their security is at stake being forced to occupy bus stands and the Fort and Maradana railway stations. Young women and even teenaged boys are at risk in the environs of Pettah at nights.

A few months ago there was an incident where a 16 year old boy was whisked away by a gang at the Pettah bus stand and sexually abused. There were also incidents when women passengers were molested and raped by bus crews.

A transit centre is meant for the welfare and security of commuters stranded at dusk. The proposed transit centre is to house 150 beds for men and women in separate compartments.

The authorities should also take steps to educate those who come in search of shelter on the need to maintain discipline and cleanliness during their overnight stay. The nominal admission fee of Rs.100 is quite reasonable as a room in the city for a person at night is between Rs.750 and Rs.1000.

The authorities should also scrutinise the travel tickets perused for authenticity. The centre has been described as the best hub for passenger stay at night. Therefore, it is necessary to enforce strict security at night with policemen on duty at the centre.

As done and practiced in the transport sector, early booking of beds at this centre should not be considered. Passengers must be entertained or accommodated on a first come, first served basis to avoid corruption.

The display of the office identity card of the staff attached to this centre should be made a compulsion to enable passengers to deal directly with the centre as Pettah is a town known for touting in its history.

The transport Ministry should be commended for having chosen the correct location for the proposed centre. The railway stores compound where the new transit centre will be constructed is quite a distance from the frequently congested Pettah bus stand where unscrupulous elements loiter at night.

The concept of transit centres need to be expanded in the process. The main cities like Kandy, Matara, Galle, Kurunegala and Anuradhapura should be identified in the second phase for expansion of this human project.

Unlike in the Colombo city where there are people much seen, in areas mentioned above, the security of passengers stranded at night is more at risk with less people moving in those cities.

Like in Colombo, there are reported incidents of crime perpetrated on young girls and mothers who get stranded at those venues without transport at nights. Therefore, the expansion of the concept of transit centres is a necessity.

These transit centres which initially levy Rs.100 as an admission fee should also charge a minimal sum for the usage of water and sanitary facilities for the maintenance of the centre. In Sri Lanka, when all things are given free, the people do not value them. The infrastructure facilities at main bus stands have rapidly improved under the stewardship of Minister Alahapperuma.

The cleanliness and security at the Central Bus Stand in Pettah is commendable. The transport system has reached a higher degree with the system being streamlined to meet commuter demand. Now, attention is focused on commuter welfare with night transit centres to benefit them. These are all commendable steps for passenger welfare.

The public is bound to protect institutions or centres dedicated to the well-being of the people. Those who seek shelter at those centres should be honest. The facility is offered at a minimum cost with adequate security to life.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon those who seek shelter at these transit centres to use them in a clean manner. That is an incentive they earn for themselves and the country.