“Gateway to success†newly opened Southern high way, riders / travelers must protect this great asset and obey and adhere to the rules and procedures.
Posted on November 30th, 2011
Claude Fernando ,Brampton ,Canada
ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s been reported by the media, some of the careless and absent-minded riders and passengersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who travelledƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ first day on southern highway, have dumped and thrownƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ empty water bottles, juice cans, lunch boxes even used ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”thambili kombasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ,newspapers beside the roads and completely messed up and rubbished the picturesque environment veryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sadly and badly. Albeit, itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s an unfamiliar experience for Sri Lankans to acquire a such a wonderful and amazingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ expressway from Kottawa(Colombo) to(Pinnaduwa) Galle,(ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s going to be extended unto Kataragama via Hambanthota in 2nd pace)
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s not necessary to teachƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ extra ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-chalk talkƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to the folks about how to assist to keep up the cleanliness and tidiness of the common places which are owned and belonged to them. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ paramount obligation and commitment to love and safe thisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ incalculable asset.
ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s observed some travelersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have stoppedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and moved their vehiclesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on the side of the expressway to view theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ naturalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ green sceneries beside the road , making a traffic jam and impedimentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for on going vehicles.
People should be aware aboutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the riskiness of the highway asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fatal accidents could happen if they do not take a special care or concentrate while on driving.
The mainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ responsibility of the authorities have to do is, toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ impose new strictƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rules and regulations and enforce theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ law forthwith who breach the enactment.
November 30th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Minister breaks speeding laws of the Expressway
Minister Welgama says he drove at a speed of 180 km per hour on the Southern Expressway opened by the President on the 27th and he didn’t feel the speed says the Minister of Transport Kumara Wlegama.
However, the maintenance director of the Expressway has said the maximum speed on the highway is 100 km per hour and anyone exceeding this limit is committing a crime and could be arrested.
December 1st, 2011 at 1:40 am
It is the duty of every citizen of the country and all the foreign visitors to keep not only the express way but also all the roadways clean and tidy. Many of the south-east countries Singapore, Bangkok, Malaysia, etc. have clean roads, you cannot find any cigarette-buts, used bus tickets, etc. on the road. Everyone of us has to be civic conscious and environment friendly. In the first place we should have some sense of self and understand how we can contribute to keep the roadways clean.
December 1st, 2011 at 4:49 am
If Mr Welgama said he travelled at 180 kph he was an idiot, & I mean that. He should have been arrested and take to courts and prosecuted. He not only broke the law, the common curtsey, and put other people’s life in danger. That amount to man slaughter. If he goes scot-free there will be others to follow. Mahinda, are there people more equal than the others in this country?
December 1st, 2011 at 7:11 am
The law may only be such that there is no arrest for speeding, but only a fine. What ever it is, the IGP should at least send him a warning, as it is a police office need not always arrest or fine, but they can give warnings, esp. at the initial period of introduction of a new law or a facility.
There should be rest areas where people can put aside to view the landscape and have a Krumba (Thambili). Such places need Garbage control and washrooms (toilets).
December 1st, 2011 at 2:42 pm
The High Way is a new experience to most of the road users in Sri Lanka. Of these road users, the drivers of vehicles have to be fully equipped both in driving skills and personal qualities to make the roadways safe and enjoyable experince of a life time. The personal qualities I refer to are such as patience, friendliness, courtesy, discipline, tolerance etc. I always believe that by observing the driving habits of an operator of a vehicle on the road a fair assessment of his or her personal qualities mentioned above could be assessed with a high degree of success. I have personally judged this with some of my friends with whom I happened to be in their vehicles as a passenger.Some of these people get very angry when another driver unwittingly commits a mistake and start abusing in un-mentionable language. Some times that leads to “Road-Rage” causing exchange of blows and brawls. I have experienced these incidents many a times and in all those instances my assessment of those individuals was correct to a very high percentage.
I want to make you laugh with one such incident. I friend of mine living abroad came for a holiday and he wanted to drive my vintgage “Morris Minor” on Galle Road. He took the wheel and I sat by his side. We came to Wellawatta junction and stopped for the red light and when the green light came he started to drive. As you all know it does not pull that fast like new Toyota or Honda. It took a little time. The vehicle behind us was a passenger van and the driver of that vehicle started tooting the horn and it sounded as if he was sitting on it. The next thing he did was to come on the side lane and slowed down and started shouting in Sinhala “Ado bendaganing oya huchchakkuwe gonek” -(“tie a bull to your vintage) My friend was as witty as that van driver. My friend raised his voice and said “Mama bala bala hitiye umba wage gonek dakinakan. Any wareng me huchchakkuwata”. ( I was on the look-out far a bull like you. Please come into this vintage vehicle). This exchange of words led to a big commotion on the middle of the road creating a huge traffic block, until the Police intervened.
How do you assess the personal qualities both of my friend and the driver of the van involved in the above incident? If both of them were patient, tolerant, forgiving we would have avoided all that problem.
So apart from driving skills (defensive driving) a person needs good personal qualities too to make our High Ways and By-Ways safe for all people.
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:21 am
*** He not only broke the law, the common curtsey, and put other people’s life in danger. That amount to man slaughter. ***
Settle down Kamal, breaking the speed limit is not a capital offense. Its a traffic infraction. He would actually have to had killed someone for it to be manslaughter…
And I have news for you… people will be actively breaking the speed limit, every hour of the day (as they do in every other country) from now until we evolve to a newer form of transportation.