- Policy, infrastructure, coordination, training and enforcement changes needed
- Changes in culture of driving, road design and maintenance, vehicle inspection and safety compliance highlighted
On 4 September, a Lanka Ashok Leyland bus collided with a Range Rover on a narrow stretch of road near Ella, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
While the crash was devastating for those directly affected, the subsequent investigation revealed that it was not an isolated or unpredictable incident. Instead, it reflected broader weaknesses in Sri Lanka’s transport system: unsafe vehicles, inconsistent oversight, and hazardous infrastructure.
The official report on the Ella accident provided detailed findings on the immediate causes of the crash. But it also highlighted the systemic issues that make serious accidents a regular feature of Sri Lankan roads. These concerns are reinforced by national statistics, which show that traffic-related deaths and injuries remain consistently high.
According to Police records, 2,253 road accidents were reported in 2024, resulting in 2,359 deaths, 6,762 serious injuries, 9,995 minor injuries, and 5,629 cases of property damage. The following year has seen little improvement. By 21 September 2025, there had already been 1,878 reported accidents, leaving 1,995 people dead. As of 9 September 2025, an additional 3,787 people had sustained serious injuries, 7,036 minor injuries were recorded, and 2,956 incidents of property damage had been reported. The Police could not provide statistics specifically pertaining to bus-related accidents.
These figures illustrate that the Ella collision was part of a much larger and ongoing public safety crisis. Each number represents not just a statistic but a household, a family, or a community affected. The report on Ella is therefore significant not only for explaining a single tragedy but also for laying out recommendations that, if properly implemented, could help reverse these nationwide trends.
The incident
On 4 September, at approximately 9.06 p.m., the bus bearing number NB-1673, carrying Tangalle Municipal Council staff returning to Tangalle from a trip to Nuwara Eliya, collided with a Range Rover (CBK-1612) coming from the opposite direction and the guardrail on the left side of the bend. The bus then veered off the road and fell into the gorge near the 24/6 culvert on the Ella-Wellawaya main road between the 24 km and 23 km posts.
The Ella-Wellawaya road from Ella town to Ravana Ella is a two-lane road about 6.1 km long with steep slopes and dangerous bends, marked with side and centre lines. The stretch from Ella town to the accident site, which is about 3.8 km long, has a steep incline. Within this 3.8 km, there is a drop of 338 m, which is a gradient of approximately 89 m per km. There are about four main hairpin bends, and the accident occurred at the fifth bend.
Road signs and numerous additional warning signs had been properly installed to inform drivers of the road’s dangerous nature. Other than a street lamp near the Saman Devalaya after Ella town, there were no street lights up until the accident site. Additionally, there were no houses, shops, or hotels for about a kilometre leading up to the accident site, making the section of the road deserted.
The road, according to the report, is a two-lane asphalt surface, generally 6.5 m wide between side lines, widening to approximately 9 metres at the bend where the incident took place.
Mechanical deficiencies
The post-crash inspection of the bus NB-1673 was carried out on 9 and 10 September at the Ella Police Station. The vehicle, a 2011 Lanka Ashok Leyland Viking with 54 seats, was registered to Kankanam Arachchige Niroshan of Angunakolapelessa.
Investigators noted irregularities in its identification, including a chassis number with 18 characters instead of the standard 17. The stamped number on the chassis did not match the registration certificate, body tag, or Department of Motor Traffic records, raising questions over its authenticity. The vehicle’s colour scheme also differed from official records, with stickers masking its original paint.
The post-accident inspection showed that the bus was completely wrecked: the engine had detached from the gearbox, axles had separated from the chassis, the brake system was destroyed, and the steering mechanism was beyond repair. The chassis was bent and cracked, and the electrical system was obliterated. Pre-accident modifications such as coloured lights, sound systems, and decorative fittings were also identified as unauthorised.
Critical findings centred on the brake system. The right rear wheel had suffered long-term mechanical faults, with worn axle components allowing grease to leak into the brakes. This failure forced the other brakes to overcompensate, causing excessive heating and reducing effectiveness. Missing dial plates, worn steering joints, and a defective clutch bearing further weakened the vehicle’s condition.
The Range Rover sustained major right-side damage, including a broken suspension, shattered glass, and dented panels. Although equipped with a 360-degree camera system, the recording function was disabled, leaving no video record of the crash.
Oversight and human factors
The investigation also examined the role of both drivers in the crash. The bus driver, identified as 27-year-old Thewara Hennadige Chiran Dimanka, had obtained his licence to operate large passenger vehicles in May 2022 and had been employed with Orient Holdings for some time. Records from the Ella Police revealed a demanding schedule in the 36 hours leading up to the collision.
On 3 September, he drove another Orient Holdings vehicle (DAA-8263) from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., before collecting the NB-1673 bus later that night. He parked at Tangalle Municipal Council grounds, then travelled to Ambalantota to visit the residence of the deceased secretary, Rupasena, returning around 3.30 a.m. From there, the group began its journey.
The itinerary included Ravana Ella by 8 p.m., dinner at 9.30 p.m., a late-night visit to Adisham Bungalow in Haputale until 1.30 a.m., and onward travel to Gregory Park in Nuwara Eliya, followed by another stop at Ravana Ella. The accident occurred at 9.06 p.m. on 4 September.
This timeline confirmed that the driver did not receive the mandatory rest breaks required under the Motor Traffic Act. Regulations limit continuous driving to 4.5 hours, followed by a minimum half-hour rest, with at least 10 hours of rest required within any 24-hour period. Instead, the driver worked almost continuously for 37 hours, often exceeding the legal maximums, making fatigue a likely contributing factor.
The Range Rover driver, identified as 27-year-old Herath Wasala Mudiyanselage Chamidu Deshan Umendra, was licensed to drive a Land Rover Discovery but not the Range Rover PHEV involved in the crash. Mechanical inspection of the vehicle revealed no defects. However, evidence showed the collision occurred when the Range Rover was travelling on the wrong side of the road, with impact between its right rear and the bus’s right front.
Recommendations for reform
The chapter on recommendations moves decisively from assigning blame to prescribing solutions, offering a multi-pronged and interconnected blueprint for overhauling road safety in Sri Lanka.
The report calls for a revolutionary shift in driver training, advocating for a move beyond traditional education towards the use of modern simulators and psychological training to enhance hazard perception and decision-making skills under pressure.
Crucially, it emphasises the strategic integration of technology, noting that vehicles like NB-1673 can generate data to be stored in cloud servers. It recommends harnessing this data to monitor driver behaviour, including speed, braking patterns, and routing, in real-time, enabling authorities and operators to intervene proactively rather than reactively after a tragedy has occurred. Furthermore, the proposal to create a centralised, classified database for accident sites would allow for data-driven prioritisation of infrastructure upgrades and targeted enforcement efforts.
On the subject of vehicle safety, the report is unequivocal. It demands the mandatory installation and rigorous maintenance of fail-safe braking systems on all heavy passenger vehicles, ensuring that a loss of air pressure does not result in a total loss of braking ability. To prevent vehicles like NB-1673 from ever being allowed on the road again, it advocates for a digitalised and far more rigorous inspection regime.
This includes the introduction of a ‘Daily Routing Inspection Certificate’ that must be filled and certified by the driver before each journey, ensuring that basic but vital checks are performed consistently. The report also pushes for legislation that would require public transport vehicles to be serviced exclusively at accredited, high-standard workshops, thereby eliminating the option of cut-rate, substandard repairs.
The report directly addresses the perilous state of the nation’s infrastructure, explicitly linking the Ella accident to the poor road conditions. Its recommendations are refreshingly specific: the immediate installation of road humps and bumpers at identified black spots to forcibly reduce speed, alongside a sustained commitment to ensuring proper road width, effective guardrails, and clear signage.
The report also stresses the importance of emergency preparedness, noting that response times and evacuation capabilities were likely hampered during the incident. It calls for clear emergency exit routes on vehicles and improved access for emergency services.
To ensure a more compassionate and efficient post-accident response, the report recommends establishing programmes for immediate psychological support and fair compensation for victims and their families. It also proposes a fully integrated online system for insurance and revenue licence verification to combat fraud, as well as mechanisms to regulate the price and quality of essential spare parts like tyres and batteries, recognising that cost-cutting on quality directly jeopardises lives.
Ministry of Transport response
Following the report, attention turned to Government action. On 25 September, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena’s Public Relations Officer Damian Weerakkody discussed the ministry’s position.
He acknowledged challenges in collecting consolidated data from Police sources, illustrating one of the gaps the report had highlighted. He then outlined the ministry’s plan to integrate the recommendations into the existing National Access Plan.
According to Weerakkody, Government teams have already visited nine districts, including Badulla, Monaragala, and Nuwara Eliya, to consult with local stakeholders. Engagement with Members of Parliament is part of this process, aimed at tailoring reforms to regional needs.
The ministry has begun preparing district-specific action plans, supported by discussions with potential donors. Implementation is scheduled to start in early November 2025.
As part of its transparency measures, the ministry has committed to presenting its proposals at a media conference in October. For Nuwara Eliya, eight initiatives have already been identified. Officials emphasised that this approach was designed to combine local input with national coordination. Weerakkody said the ministry would carefully study the proposals of the report and seek its implementation step by step through the national ‘Road Safety Action Plan 2025-2026.’ He said the action plan was aimed at resolving many of the critical issues highlighted in the report.
Law enforcement perspective
The role of law enforcement is central to both enforcement and data collection. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for Traffic and Road Safety Indika Hapugoda provided figures that underscored the scale of the problem.
DIG Hapugoda described current enforcement measures, which include drunk-driving operations, speed detection, and surveillance of reckless driving. The Police has been mapping accident-prone black spots and targeting interventions at those locations.
He identified over-speeding as a major contributor to fatalities and confirmed that new speed detection systems were being introduced in several areas. Increasing Police presence on roads is also part of the strategy.
While enforcement is vital, Hapugoda acknowledged that long-term improvement required integration with systemic reforms in vehicle inspection, driver training, and infrastructure. The statistics, which he acknowledged, provide weight to the report’s call for urgent, multifaceted reform.
The Ella accident was not solely the result of one driver’s error or one vehicle’s failure. It reflected a combination of factors: a poorly maintained bus, weak regulatory enforcement, and inadequate road design. The challenge now is to maintain momentum and ensure that the proposed changes are not delayed or diluted.
The Ella accident has become a symbol of systemic failure, but it also provides an opportunity for systemic reform. The effectiveness of the response will determine whether the lessons of September 2025 are remembered as the starting point of a safer transport system, or simply another missed chance in a continuing cycle of preventable tragedies.