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| Sunday, 10 October 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Five to six fatal accidents occur everyday by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE Fathima Pasmina (12) had left home early that day just to be on time for the Sunday School at Mohideen Jumma Mosque, Kotugoda Galle. She was a keen student who had been attending the Sunday School regularly. She was mowed down by a private passenger which came from behind at Nugaduwa junction. The victim was an Year 7 student of Hasana Vidyalaya, Uswatunga, Kotugoda. All this happened while she was walking on the left side of the road. As fate decreed Pasmina's life was snapped away in a flash by a bus rumbling down the road. The tragic accident is a grim reminder of how bad the situation is on our highways. How negligent and callous our bus drivers are when it comes to road safety. How many children have been run over on high ways by such reckless bus drivers under the influence of liquor. Statistics show that 220 children have been killed in road accidents last year alone. It is high time that the Motor Traffic Act is amended to provide legislation to punish such offenders by cancellation of driving licenses, heavy fines or jail terms. This will be the only method to reduce the number of fatal accidents on our highways. The tragedy at the Nugaduwa junction is shocking beyond words. The driver of the Akuressa bound bus had swerved the bus to the left side of the road to give way to another bus coming from the opposite direction. Due to sheer negligence the driver had not noticed the little girl on the left side of the road, Police said. In fact it was a neighbour who spotted Pasmina fallen on the ground with severe bleeding injuries. The neighbour soon realised that the injured girl was the daughter of his friend. With the help of another man he lifted the injured girl into a trishaw and rushed her to Karapitiya hospital. He had a parcel of hope that her life would be saved. At the Karapitiya hospital a doctor examined the injured and pronounced her dead. That was the tragic end of a young girl whose memory will always be on the periphery of thoughts of her parents. No sooner the tragic news reached Nugaduwa, it sparked off a riot where enraged persons attacked the bus and attempted to set fire to it. In the meantime someone hurled a bomb which caused minor damages to the bus. The bus driver however fled the scene before he was set upon by the angry mob. While the commotion was brewing at a furious pace, Senior Supdt. of Police, Galle, Lasantha de Silva's Walkie Talkie crackled. On the other end was Supdt. of Police Galle, ( Harbour) Kalansuiriya who informed his boss about the development at Kotugoda. He requested a riot squad to be despatched immediately to quell the riot. SSP, Lasantha de Silva who was at a discussion with a visiting Indian Inspector General of Police, wasted no time in ordering a riot squad to be despatched there with SP Kalansuriya in-charge. However when the police riot squad arrived at Nugaduwa junction the crowd became riotous and hurled stones at the police party. Police having realised the worsening situation fired tear gas shells and later open fire to disperse the crowd. Fortunately only a few suffered minor injuries as a result of the firing. The situation was finally brought under control with the crowd dispersing. Meanwhile the Police arrested the suspect bus driver. He was later taken before the Galle Magistrate who remanded him. According to accident figures 200 children have been killed in road accidents last year alone. A total of 2000 fatal accidents were reported last year. They include 311 cyclists, 68 pedestrians and 399 motor cyclists who lost their lives. What is most shocking is that 220 children were killed Last year. Of the total number of accidents, 59, 444 reported last year 3919 persons suffered serious injuries while 13, 714 suffered minor injuries. 39,841 accidents had caused damage to property. Police said that around 5-6 fatal accidents occur every day. In July, a group of people set fire to a private coach when it ran over and killed a youth at Wewaldeniya Ratnapura. The victim who was travelling in the same bus had he slipped and fallen while getting off the bus. At Kuliyapitiya a school boy named S.D. Sheer was knocked down by a private bus and killed while cycling at Kuliyapitiya. A crowd that gathered assaulted the driver and set fire to the bus. During the same month, a 49 year old father of two children was killed when he was knocked down by a motor cyclists at Ratnapura. In Ampitiya a woman named M.K. Herath and her 11-year-old son were killed while walking on the road. The driver under the influence of liquor had not stopped the vehicle. However other motorist gave chase and apprehended the culprit. |
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