Driver attack in Panadura road rage incident:

Police press ahead with search for 15 more suspects

Chamikara Weerasinghe

Police are searching for more suspects in the Panadura bus driver attack, said Mount Lavinia Division SSP A H Adhikari yesterday. The attack on the driver led to a crippling transport strike on Colombo-Galle road involving private bus workers of the Panadura bus depot, from June 1 to June 4. ‘The police have arrested three suspects regarding the attack, Adhikari said. The suspects are employees attached to the CTB. They are remanded in police custody, he said.

“We have recorded statements from the suspects. The inquiries carried out by Mount Lavinia Police have revealed that there are 15 suspects involved in the attack. They will be arrested,” SSP Adhikari said. .

“We have got a court order to arrest everyone involved in the attack,” he said.

Asked how they will proceed with the action , Adhikari said they will take steps to produce the suspects for an identification parade on June 16.

The driver attacked is currently receiving treatment at the Panadura hospital. He had been treated for serious injuries at Kalubowila Hospital and Colombo General Hospital following the attack on June 1.

Meanwhile, the private bus workers yesterday called off their strike with the Police announcing that they have already arrested three suspects in connection with the incident, and everyone involved in the attack will be brought to book in due course.

The private bus workers who had been refusing to put their buses into operation until everyone involved in the incident had been arrested, were met by us on Friday hours before they called off the strike.

Asked about their decision to strike at the cost of thousands of suffering commuters who were stranded in bus halts, with no involvement in the attack, the bus employed said they regret the inconvenience caused to the public and asked who will be held responsible for the attack on the driver, his safety and safety from potential road rage attacks of this nature.

“We are aware that the public have blamed us for our action. On the contrary, we have been looked down upon by many despite our all important contribution to national transport,” a bus driver(name withheld) said .

“The decision to stop our operations was arrived at by us, the bus drivers and bus conductors. It was not a decision by the Private Bus Owners Association,” they said. “ In fact they backed down on a request from us to support our strike action.”

“Our worker was assaulted over a side mirror that had got damaged after a minor road accident with a CTB bus. The driver and the conductor of the bus were grabbed by their arms and legs and taken off the bus. They were taken to the Ratmalana CTB depot where they savagely beat our fellow driver,” they said.

”How can we operate buses when there is no protection for our lives. The passengers think in terms of their comfort. But we have to think about our safety too,” they explained.

Asked, was it not because of the rivalry between the CTB and the private bus workers that the commuters had been left to suffer, the bus workers said it was not a lie that there has been competition among them. ‘But it has never been unfriendly or unhealthy, they said.

There was also peace and the the feeling of protection, they said. .

“This is the first time that a road rage incident as violent as this had taken place on the strip of Galle road between Panadura and Colombo, between private bus employees and the CTB workers, they pointed out.