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| Sunday, 4 July 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Motoring etiquette : Do they know what the yellow stripes mean? Someone once remarked that road markings in Sri Lanka were just a waste of point. And going by the numbers of accidents, especially those occurring at the pedestrian crossings, you don't have to wonder whether the remark was made in jest.Broad yellow strips indicating a pedestrian crossing, is at least in theory, a place where a man, woman, child or a group of children can get from one side of the road to the other without fear of being mowed down.
Drivers, again in theory, are supposed to slow down when approaching a pedestrian crossing and be prepared to stop,giving way to anyone on foot, waiting to get to the other side. In the unequal context between man-on- foot and man-on wheels, the pedestrian crossing in the one place where the right of the pedestrian is absolute. But, again, that's only in theory. For in reality, drivers more often than not treat the yellow strips as a 'nuisance' that has to be shrugged aside or ignored in their quest to be ahead of everyone else. If a hapless pedestrian happened to be at the crossing, is his bad luck. The disregard for all road rules in general and pedestrian crossing in particular was amply demonstrated during 'the Courteous Drivers Week' which ironically got off with a horrendous 'moving down' at a pedestrian crossing at the Colombo-Kurunegala Road in Kurunegala. 'Do drivers really know what the yellow stripes stand for'. We posed the question to a cross section of drivers and others involved with motor traffic and this is what they had to say? by Lakmal Welabada Drivers D. S. Ratnayake, private bus Panadura - Pettah route. "We know that the yellow lines are meant for the pedestrians. If we see someone stepping on the yellow lines we 'tend' to allow them to cross. The biggest problem we face is from small vehicles like, cars, three wheelers and motor cycles. They always overtake the private buses from the left. Sometimes we don't see them properly, and they tend to get run over by us mistakenly. But the whole blame is always put on us." Slowing down or stopping the bus just for one person to cross the road on the yellow line seems to be not 'that' necessary for this driver. Janaka Fernando, intercity bus, Panadura - Pettah route. "People cross roads from wherever they like. Even on the yellow line, they should wait a bit at the edge and indicate to the moving vehicles that they want to cross the road, without just walking or running across thinking the vehicles 'should' stop for them. How can we slow down or stop a vehicle all of a sudden? We are also human beings. We are also tired as driving is a hectic job. It takes a few seconds for the signal to reach one's brain that someone is about to cross the yellow line ahead. Public should also be aware of this." Gunepala, a private bus Maharagama - Pettah route. "Some people cross the road on the pedestrian crossing as if they are walking on a beach for relaxation. I suggest that people should walk briskly when they are crossing the road, even on the yellow line." R. D. Weerawardene, 22 years experience. At present he drives a bus on the Kandy - Colombo route. "I have noticed at many places that the yellow line crossing is situated just after the bus halt. So the people who get off from the bus always try to cross the road while the bus is at the stand. On such occasions, they tend to meet with accidents by being run over by the same bus they have travelled in or by the vehicle that tries to overtake the bus (at the stand) from right. Most of the time, the drivers do not see that a commuter is on the crossing line just before his bus/vehicle. It's a very tricky situation." Darshana Peiris, eight years experience plying the Kesbewa - Pettah route. "The rule is to be vigilant from 10m ahead of the crossing. We know that well and always try to be alert. While applying the break in our bus we give hand signal to stop the vehicles that are coming from the right. But, some drivers just ignore this. The private buses on the Kesbewa - Pettah route is continuously monitored by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. So we, the drivers also do not take the wheel if the bus is not up to standard to run on the road. I think if the so called road accidents are to be minimised, every bus route authority and every bus driver should maintain that kind of quality standard." Roshan Chaminda, owner of a bus who had come to Pettah to deal with the fine imposed on his bus. "After settling 'Dada kolayas' once or twice a week, no profit is left from a private bus. Police ask us not to drive fast. But simultaneously passengers scold us if we do not speed as usual. I don't know how to survive in this business." Kithsiri Perera, employee of the Road Passenger Transport Authority. "I don't think any driver wants to kill even an ant. That does not mean that all the drivers are good. Traffic jams and the low standards of the vehicles are the main reasons for most of the adverse incidents. Not a single Policeman goes to the CTB bus halt here. They prefer to haunt at the private bus halt go they can pick the pocket of the private buses. A CTB bus driver who did not want to reveal his identity. "The government should pay more attention to improve the standard of the CTB buses. There are so many CTB buses which are not roadworthy. The CTB has been getting step-motherly treatment since the private buses took over. So when something happens the whole blame is put only on us, the drivers. While having problems within ourselves how can we talk about 'yellow lines', and accuse the innocent passengers and the pedestrians?." Police Constable Susil Kumara, Colombo City Traffic in duty at Pettah. "The speed limit of a vehicle in the city is 50km/h and it becomes 70km/h outside the city area. When a driver sees someone at the pedestrian crossing his brain takes a few seconds to identify that signal. Simultaneously he has to incorporate his leg to apply brakes. So no one can stop a vehicle at once. Hence the pedestrians should also be careful when crossing. People should wait at least two seconds at the edge of the pedestrian crossing as a prior indication to the moving vehicles that he/she wants to cross the line. "It's true that the yellow lines are for them, but running across it at once would cause severe harm to everybody. School children should also be get educated on this. The Police can fine the drivers who pass the yellow lines neglecting the pedestrians who are on it halfway through. When a driver breaks a road rule is fined, the Police always point out his fault before stretching out the 'Dada kole' towards him." |
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