Canal Transport Protect Colombo Region
Posted on December 28th, 2025
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
I remember former Minister of Urban Development who frequently spoke to Advocata and other policy forums about modern urban transport concepts—especially:
- Canal / inland water transport
- Monorail system
He was Minister of Megapolis & Western Development (2015–2019) and
Previously Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply & Drainage
- He was a regular speaker at Advocata, CCC, and policy think-tank and Strong promoter of:
- Western Region Megapolis plan
- Canal-based passenger transport (Beira Lake, Diyawanna, Kelani canals)
- Monorail / LRT concepts
- He actively invited private sector proposals
Why my canal transport proposal which was submitted from our shipyard failed
Because
- Retired state officers were appointed as project heads
- Highly procedural
- Risk-averse
- Slow decision-making
- No empowered Project Delivery Unit (PDU)
- Files moved ministry → authority → treasury → line agencies
- Conflict between vision and bureaucracy
- Minister had ideas
- Implementation was controlled by old administrative culture
- Private sector marine expertise undervalued
- Especially practical shipyard-based solutions like yours
In fact, many canal transport pilot projects were announced but never scaled, precisely because:
- No PPP framework
- No single accountable authority
From a technical standpoint, canal transport in Colombo is:
- Energy efficient
- Low land acquisition
- Ideal for ageing population and tourists
- Compatible with hybrid/electric boats (which you already understand well)
The failure was institutional, not technical.
Regards
Dr Sarath Obeysekera