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| Sunday, 17 August 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Police baffled over container transport at peak hours by S. Selvakumar Police are highly perturbed over the movement of containers on city roads during peak hours, which cause heavy traffic congestion and inconvenience to all, and expect authorities to draw out a plan in consultation with the city traffic police to overcome this problem. A few days ago, a policeman directing vehicular traffic at the Hekitta junction in Wattala was crushed to death by a container. Though this was one example, several accidents and constant traffic jams during peak hours have resulted due to container traffic. DIG Traffic, Daya Jayasundera, when asked about this problem said that containers with goods for export should be allowed since they have to be loaded into cargo ships at a stipulated time. Therefore, they should reach the harbour on time and the police are unable to stop harbour-bound containers at any time of the day. However, containers with imported goods are discouraged to leave the harbour during daytime. Asked why the containers with goods for export reach the harbour during the night and make a long wait for the ships to come alongside the quay to transfer the containers, Jayasundera said that this could not be prevented since there is no room in the harbour premises to park the loaded containers, which compels the police to allow container movements at any time of the day. He said the only option to ease container traffic during day or night is to use the rail transport that connects the harbour to Ragama railway station which is lying idle in a neglected state at present. Jayasundera said that 95 per cent of the containers operated from the North of the Western Province and, if containers' loads could be transported by train between the harbour and the Ragama railway station, it would be a great relief. He was also of the view, that if passenger train services are operated between 7 and 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 and 6.30 p.m. from Veyangoda, Awissawella and Kalutara to Colombo and vice versa, traffic congestion in the city would be considerably eased. |
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