Traffic congestion in Kandy
Reckless driving cause for concern:
Dr Sudath Gunasekara
The facility of smooth traffic
movement is an ornament as well as an asset to any city. Providing this
facility is the responsibility of city fathers and the law enforcing
authorities. Primarily the commuters and the drivers are the people who
are inconvenienced when there is no such smooth system. First part of
this article was published on September 18 (Saturday)
It was hailed by everybody but unfortunately two prominent Government
Ministers from the Kandy District ruined that scheme to appease their
voters on the pavements. None of the others to whom I spoke paid any
heed to what I said. They either pretended to know everything about it
or just ignored me. So there after, I stopped talking about this
subject. Who are we to talk about such important issues?
Driving on the streets of Kandy city I think is the most difficult
thing a driver could experience any where in the world. As for me I hate
it. It is simply because there is no system and there is no law
observed. I have seen traffic management in some of the biggest cities
like California, Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Paris, London,
Rome, Delhi, Bombay, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok, Manila and
Tokyo.
Compared with them is this a city I wonder. I also have seen how
systematically they manage millions of vehicles that pour in daily
without any problem. Compared with any of them both in size and
population Kandy could be easily accommodated in one of their street
corners.
Driving in Kandy streets not an easy task. File photo |
Kandy for me is only a small country townlet that want even strictly
fall within the definition of modern cities. But in spite of its small
size Kandy is still a ‘city’ for us we Sri Lankans. Even some foreigners
during the colonial times have described it as the ‘Garden of Hesperides’,
though somewhat poetical. After all, today it is the second biggest city
in this country. So let us together sing blissfully ‘small is beautiful’
going by Alfred Schumacher the father of intermediate technology in the
modern world. At the same time, it must be said without prejudice that
this city is the worst place in the whole island for reckless and
lawless driving.
Several times my car had been hit by drivers overtaking from all
sides recklessly driving without any regard to all other drivers and all
accepted traffic laws and civilized norms, perhaps thinking that person
is the only driver on the road. Before I could get a glimpse of the
vehicle it vanishes in the street corners like a meteorite. Thank god
the only thing they don’t do is they don’t drive over and under your
vehicle until you are knocked either from the front or the rear and
turned upside down or rather such facilities like flying cars are made
available to them.
As for the pedestrians they appear to think that it is their
prerogative to walk all over. There is no distinction between the road
and the pavement for them. They monopolize the road at all times and
just stray across and straight like wild buffaloes.
More than the pedestrians, it is the fault of the Police who have
failed to enforce the law and the municipality which has miserably
faulted in it duty by failing to have the necessary road signs and even
if they have they provide them in the wrong places. No wonder for a
Municipality that has failed to effect repairs to its Library Hall burnt
on February 2, 2007 up to date. With regard to police officers often
they are detailed at wrong places.
I have seen many a time Police officers detailed to control traffic
at pedestrian crossings standing 10 to 15 feet away from the crossing
point instead of directing the vehicles and people from the centre of
the crossing point. Very often they get to a side and engage in friendly
conversations with some one most probably known to them in this little
town instead of controlling the vehicles. So it is no surprise that the
pedestrians and the drivers take the law into their hands and have their
way. When once I mentioned this to a DIG he said he has not seen such
incidents. I suggested that he travels incognito without uniforms, in a
private vehicle to see whether what I say is true or not.
In the first place thousands of vehicles from all over the country
including through vehicles daily pour in from nine main roads. Buses
coming from Kurunegala, Matale (two roads-Alawatugoda and Madawala)
Mahiyangana, Tennekumbura and Talatu Oya also pass across the city
centre to their terminuses at the Opposite end to the bus stands in the
Bogambara, Goodshed or the Clock tower. If the authorities had the brain
to provide bus stands for these busses at their point of entry to the
city the city would have got relieved of least of this volume.
First step
Clear all the pavements and relocate the traders in new places so
that pedestrian can go on the pavements and punish the people who walk
all over the roads and let them cross the roads only at pedestrian
crossings.
It is also very important to regulate their crossing at these points
without allowing them to cross all the time as they do now. Because the
vehicles also have to pass these points to reach their destinations.
Since there is no colour light system a Police officer or at least a
traffic warden should be detailed for duty at each such point.
All roads should have proper road signs and lanes, marked and updated
regularly.
Pavements have to be provided where there are no pavements or where
they are not wide enough.
Have parking bays at all bus stops within the city limits. No bus
stop should be provided within a distance of one km at least from the
main bus stations.
Do not allow passenger buses to pick and drop passengers in any other
place other than at an authorized bus stop.
All vehicles should be strictly driven on the lane appropriate on its
side. No vehicle should be allowed to crises-cross the road by passing
the lane rule.
All overtaking should be confined to the right side only. Let them
also have a separate lane for the ubiquitous three-wheelers and stop
criss-crossing particularly by motorcycles and three-wheelers.
All vehicles should stop within at least 10 feet from the yellow line
at a pedestrian crossing. Prohibit parking in all streets or at least on
busy streets like Dalada, Yatinuwara and Kotugodella.
Ban the following
Driving down Dalada Vidiya from Queens Hotel and left/right turning
opposite Food City.
Left turning at the Clock Tower round about of vehicles entering the
city from Katukele side.
Ban the halting of all buses on the road near the bus stands, e.g:
stopping along the road near the former scout HQ. They should drop the
passengers inside the bus stand only. This ban should apply to buses
halting near the Bogambara Prisons (on all sides) and near the central
Market as well. Enforce one way traffic whereever two way create
problems e.g: All vehicles driving down the section between the
Kachcheri and Colombo Street junction.
Work out an intelligent vehicle flow network to avoid traffic jams
like what happens presently at the Clock Tower round about. For example,
turning right and proceeding towards the railway station of vehicles
coming from Katukele side here creates a big mess but no one seems to
have given any thought to it.
Let the Police officers on traffic duty stop talking to their friends
while on duty and strictly concentrate on the job.
Smooth traffic movement
Responsibility of City Fathers
An asset to any city
Pedestrians must be made to use pavements
Bus stands located in convenient places
Relocating pavement hawkers
Separate lane for three-wheelers, motorcyclists
Overhead bridges at important locations |
Have a school bus service operated by the MC (this will stop all
private school vans coming in to the city and blocking all the by roads
in the city near the schools).
Second step
Design a network of flyovers for vehicle at crucial points such as
the Bogambara-Hospital junction on the Hospital Road, the Railway
Station junction and the Clock Tower round about to avoid congestion and
provide overhead bridges for passengers instead of marking pedestrian
crossings on the road within the town limits.
Have over head bridges for passengers at all pedestrian crossings.
Encourage all shop owners to have their own underground parking Two
overhead bridges near Queens Hotel for passengers and a fly over for
vehicles coming up the Dalada Vidiya entering the Lake road.
Third step
Have at least one main bus terminus for vehicles coming from the
outstations at each of the four main entrances to the City outside the
City limits at Peradeniya. Katugastota, Tennekumbura and Ampitiya and
have a link up City bus service operated by the MC for passengers to get
to their destinations there from and get back to the relevant outbound
bus station. Relocate all wholesale business activities in places
outside the city and stop the parking of all vehicles on the streets.
This will keep the lorries out of the city. One has only to drive down
the Colombo Street to see this mess. Temporary parking where necessary
may be allowed parallel to the pavements.
Have a bridge over the Lake connecting the bend near Malwatta temple
with the former Jatikapola on the other side linking up with the
Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha with room for vehicles on the Lake Road to
pass under. Provide a second car park towards the northern end of the
town in front of the Kachcheri.
There should be one central bus stand for the proposed MC bus fleet.
Open a railway line to Pallekele. An extension from Mawilmada down
the Mahaweli and crossing Mahaweli at Tennekumbura could minimize the
cost.
Coordinate railway with the bus service by having bus stands near the
Railway stations. And additional rail stops within the city at vantage
points so that railway could be used by commuters as a cheaper and more
convenient mode of transport within the city limits. (a subject that has
never been explored since the construction of Kandy-Matale railway) An
electric city railway shuttle service will greatly help the city
commuters and reduce the pressure on busses.
Further more, a double track railway service from Kandy city to its
peripheral towns like Gampola, Kadugannawa, Wattegama and Pallekele
would be ideal for commuters from a future perspective. In fact we must
now plan at least for 50 years ahead of us.
Construct a Circular Road at least with three lanes encircling the
city, so that all through vehicles could bypass the city and go to their
destinations without coming in to the city and disturb the city life.
Then it will also be quicker for them as they need not waste their time
in traffic jams in the city. In this regard I would like to suggest that
it may be like Gannoruwa-Katugastota and Tennekumbura (all on the LB of
Mahaweli) then Tennekumbura-Ampitiya- Rajapihilla Mawatha-Reservoir
Road- Hanthana- William Gopallawa Mawatha to Gannoruwa.
Ampitiya Talatu Oya Road has to be linked up with Tennekumbura with a
tunnel under the ridge.
Meanwhile I heard that the government has decided to construct an
underground tunnel for motor traffic from the Kandy Railway station to
Buwelikada via the right bank of the Kandy Lake.
It looks fantastic but I do not know how feasible and practical it
would be from a cost- benefit point of view and what effects it will
have on the surface buildings.
In any case such project should be undertaken only after a thorough
feasibility study including geology, its possible effects on the
environment, cost and the availability of alternatives to such a tunnel
etc.
I think if the authorities responsible for city administration and
traffic control can pay a wee bit heed to these suggestions setting
aside their ego for a while and not getting offended as they normally
do, when others try to talk about their domains, beauty and orderliness
will return to the City of Kandy very early.
Could it be then again sung?
“God gave all men all earth to live,
But since our hearts are small, Ordained for each one’ spot should
provide
Beloved over all.
Each to his choice’ and I rejoice”
That fairer— far than any’
The choice of mine’ is that divine’
Old Town beneath Hantenne’
As Sir Hugh Clifford the celebrated British Governor (1925-1927) sang
and printed the address ‘the Garden of Hesperides in the Paradise Island
of Ceylon’ when he scribed a letter to his cousin at home in England way
back in 1925.
Concluded
The writer is the
President Senior Citizens’ Movement, Mahanuwara. |