Sophisticated emergency service for Southern expressway

Irangika RANGE

A sophisticated emergency service with state-of-the-art facilities is now in place to assist vehicle users of the Southern expressway, said Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kothalawala.

"There will be a special police division for traffic control, paramedics and a special fire brigade for the expressway," he said.

An emergency hotline- 1969, has been introduced to assist users of the expressway for emergency and disaster situations.

The hotline is set up to provide emergency roadside assistance for matters regarding security, medical, fire extinguishing, disaster management and other rescue services.

It will also respond to users' personal or medical emergencies associated with accidents or illnesses while they are on the expressway.

Wearing seat-belts by all vehicle users including passengers in buses, is compulsory. The deputy minister said that the 24-hour emergency service units including the emergency disaster service, ambulance service, police service, vehicle repair units, fire and rescue service as well as teams of doctors and nurses have been established at 18 points on the Southern expressway.

In addition, quarters had been built in the vicinity for officers who will be on duty while fuel stations are also set up.