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Death and destruction on wheels

24 Mar 2021

  • A journey of ill-discipline, intoxicants, hellish work conditions, missing timetables

  Following the fatal accident that took place in Passara on 20 March, which cost 14 lives, road accidents in Sri Lanka became a topic of discussion again. Even though road accidents are not at all a new issue, the rising numbers emphasise the need for newer and more practical solutions apart from traditional measures. According to statistics published by the National Council for Road Safety (NCRS), road accidents that took place between 2016 and 2019 have resulted in a total of 12,030 deaths. Statistics showed that a total of 3,097 and 2,829 deaths had been reported in 2018 and 2019, respectively. A total of 11,338 accidents had led to these deaths. Also, during the same period, a total of 50,508 minor accidents had taken place in Sri Lanka, with 2019 recording the lowest number of such accidents and 2016 recording the highest. In 2019, 10,691 minor accidents had occurred, while in 2016, 13,691 minor accidents had been reported. NCRS statistics further showed that during the same period, a total of 32,830 critical accidents and a total of 48,524 accidents that only caused damages had occurred. Overall, deaths caused by accidents as well as overall accidents of the types mentioned above are continuously reported. Statistics also showed that motorcycles, lorries, and dual-purpose vehicles have caused the most number of accidents in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In the three years, motorcycles had caused a total of 3,682 deaths, lorries a total of 1,072 deaths, and dual-purpose vehicles a total of 633 deaths. While the number of deaths caused by motorcycles and dual-purpose vehicles did not show any considerable increase or decrease, lorry accidents that caused deaths showed a slight increase. Pedestrians and motorcyclists topped the list of persons who died due to road accidents in 2019, while passengers were in the fourth place.   Raising awareness among bus drivers It is a widespread opinion among the general public, including passengers, that vehicle drivers, especially bus drivers, are not disciplined and that this is one of the major reasons that cause accidents. The same concern was raised after the accident in Passara. Even though The Morning attempted to contact Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic (DMV) Sumith C.K. Alahakoon in order to inquire about the discipline-related aspect of the existing training programmes for those obtaining vehicle driving licenses, he was not reachable. Attempts to contact several other DMV Commissioners too, unfortunately, were not successful. However, when The Morning contacted NCRS Chairman Anton De Mens yesterday (23) to gain more insights into the status quo concerning the same. He said that the NCRS and the National Transport Commission (NTC) are planning to hold discussions towards the end of the next week, where the nature of the proposed awareness raising programmes for bus drivers would be discussed. He noted that these programmes will focus on more than 10 matters, including the discipline of bus drivers. When queried about the DMV’s involvement in these plans, he added that examiners from the DMV will also be a part of the awareness raising programmes. In addition to the said programmes, Mens told us on 22 March that several other plans are also underway to reduce road accidents in the country, taking into account the rising road accidents, especially those caused by buses. He said the NCRS is planning to launch a national road safety programme targeting bus drivers. Mens also said that the NCRS, in collaboration with the NTC, is planning to conduct an audit on road safety with a special focus on private bus drivers. In addition, it was also reported that the NCRS is planning to conduct a special awareness programme with a focus on the upcoming festive season. Mens further said that Sri Lanka records an average of 35,000 accidents a year and that these accidents result in around 10 deaths and 40 critical injuries a day. Based on NCRS data, we reported earlier that between 2016 and 2020, negligence of private bus drivers had led to around 7% of major accidents and that the negligence of Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus drivers had caused around 2% of such accidents. According to Mens, motorcycle accidents are on the rise at 42%.   Worn-out tyres Meanwhile, the Police on Monday (22) commenced a special three-day islandwide operation to identify vehicles with worn-out tyres in a bid to prevent accidents caused by vehicles using worn-out tyres. The Police also announced that if found guilty of this offence, a fine of Rs. 3,500 would be imposed. However, several members of the general public who use motor vehicles, to whom The Morning spoke, as well as social media users, commenting on the matter, expressed opposition to this move, pointing out that in a context where the Government has imposed restrictions on the importation of tyres, tyre prices have risen significantly, and that the general public are therefore facing difficulties when purchasing new tyres. Some also claimed that the tyre prices have increased twofold from the prices that prevailed in the pre-Covid-19 era. The Government, in April 2020, imposed restrictions on tyre imports after identifying tyres as a non-essential import item in a bid to help the country’s Covid-19-hit economy by curtailing the foreign exchange outflow. Consequently, in the past few months, those in the tyre industry lamented that these import restrictions have adversely affected the industry and that there was a severe tyre shortage in the country.   Plight of private buses As allegations against private buses rose after the said accident in Passara, The Morning also looked into the practical aspects affecting long-distance buses in Sri Lanka. When contacted, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) President Gemunu Wijeratne said the authorities should focus more on the practical challenges faced by private bus drivers than the issue of discipline among them. With regard to the said accident in Passara, he said that both the bus driver and the tipper truck driver were responsible for the accident, adding that both of them could and should have been patient when travelling on a narrow road. He added that the Road Development Authority (RDA) should also be held responsible for not taking steps to remove the rock, despite it having been months since the said rock had fallen onto the road where the accident took place. “The rock was there for months, and the bus in question has also been operating for around three months after long-distance travel restrictions were lifted following the Covid-19 pandemic. So the driver who was operating the bus had travelled through this area at least 90 times. Therefore, he was well aware of the narrowness of the road (caused by the obstructing rock) in that particular area, but still failed to avert the accident. The tipper truck driver, who I believe is a person travelling on that road regularly, is also responsible. They had adequate time to be cautious because they knew the situation. In this context, both the RDA and the drivers of the bus and the tipper truck should be penalised,” he said. Speaking further on the practical issues, Wijeratne claimed that only private bus drivers cannot be held accountable when an accident takes place, as they are performing their duties under unfavourable conditions. He alleged that out of more than 400 long-distance bus routes in Sri Lanka, proper timetables are available only for around 50 routes, which he said was the fault of the NTC. He added that due to the unavailability of proper timetables, in many cases, two buses overlap, meaning that two long-distance buses travel on the same route at the same time. This, in turn, causes an unnecessary competition between the buses and is highly likely to cause accidents, according to Wijeratne. Speaking of the long-distance bus route (in Passara) where the above-mentioned accident took place, he added there is a Badulla-Colombo bus route and that there is also a Passara-Colombo bus route, both of which overlap. Wijeratne also said that in 2011, the Supreme Court, after considering an application filed under Number 87/2007, issued an order to make joint timetables for all bus routes. He opined that even though the relevant regulators could have implemented those orders without any interference from any external party such as politicians (because it was a court order), so far, they have not done so. However, when contacted by The Morning yesterday, NTC Chairman Shashi Welgama refuted the allegations levelled by Wijeratne that there are no proper timetables for long-distance buses. Welgama emphasised that proper timetables have been issued and have been in place for years.   Long-distance bus drivers When inquired as to the unfavourable conditions under which long-distance bus drivers operate, Wijeratne claimed that most bus stands do not provide adequate facilities for long-distance bus staff to take adequate rest. “Most bus stands do not have facilities such as rest rooms for bus staff members to rest. Also, approximately 75% of bus drivers and conductors in Sri Lanka do not have proper sanitary facilities, i.e. toilets, and they are left with no option but to sleep in the buses and urinate in bottles (to be disposed of later). Despite countless discussions with various governments, so far, nothing considerable has taken place, and these issues come to light only after an accident. The issue of long-distance bus drivers getting inadequate rest is also a result of the unavailability of proper timetables, because sometimes they do not get adequate time to rest between two trips,” he explained. In response to this claim, Welgama said that the Colombo and Makumbura bus terminals, managed by the NTC, provide restroom facilities that include beds as well as proper sanitary facilities. He added that he is of the belief that bus terminals in other areas, managed by the provincial councils, also have necessary facilities such as restrooms. When queried about a longstanding allegation against private bus drivers, i.e. that of driving under influence, Wijeratne said that he does not deny it and that it is an issue that needs to be addressed forthwith. “We cannot deny the fact that some bus staff members work under the influence of intoxicants, and I have proposed that necessary provisions be included in the Motor Traffic Act when it was being amended. The issue is not just drunk driving (alcohol), but some use other illegal drugs as well. We have informed all relevant authorities including the Police too, but so far nothing has been done as the Police have not received the necessary equipment to conduct tests,” he added. Motorbikes and three-wheelers also cause many accidents, Wijeratne said, alleging that it is because the governments that ruled the country did not develop the public transport sector in line with international standards that people tend to buy/use these vehicles to travel. “Regulating only buses will not resolve this issue, as it is not only the buses that cause accidents,” he added. When questioned about the importance of the training given to long-distance bus drivers in reducing accidents, he added that more than the training, it is the roads and working conditions (for bus staff members) in Sri Lanka that need to be developed. He also said that the roads’ capacity (number of vehicles) should also be analysed because the number of vehicles using roads exceed their capacity. Statistics show that Sri Lanka has seen too many road accidents in the past few years, and every accident is a lesson that teaches about what factors lead to accidents. When looking at the accident in Passara, it is apparent that not one but several reasons may have caused it. The issue of road accidents is complicated, and one party alone cannot resolve it. Perhaps it is high time for the authorities to find answers collectively, instead of placing the blame on each other, and pay more attention to practical issues.


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