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| Sunday, 28 August 2005 |
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Editorial |  |
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Editor, Sunday Observer. E-mail: [email protected] Snail mail : Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Telephone : 94 11 2429239 / 2331181 Fax : 94 11 2429230 Resurrecting the CTB The Government has presented a bill in Parliament to resurrect the Central Transport Board (CTB). There is no doubt that it will get the support of the majority of commuters. In spite of the hosannas sung in praise of private enterprise the divesting of the CTB had proved to be a colossal mistake. The private omnibus transport sector has proved its incompetence over the years. This gives the lie to the oft-repeated claim that the private sector is more efficient and has more entrepreneur skills than the public sector. What has given rise to the resurrection of the CTB is nothing else but the behaviour of the private bus operators themselves. They have become a law unto themselves breaking not only traffic rules and regulations but also the law of the land. The most recent strike by them was on a demand calling for the abolition of punishment for offenders of traffic laws. Unfortunately the private bus operations have come under the dictat of an anarchist mafia gang, which respects no law, no authority. They break with impunity every rule in the book and renege on every pledge given at negotiations with authorities. They employ indisciplined drivers and conductors who are ready to risk the lives of passengers for a few additional rupees or even fractions of rupees. Despite several tragic accidents like the unfortunate one at the Yangalmodera rail crossing few months back these ruffians at the wheel still mercilessly drive through closed level crossings. They have become a nuisance not only for motorists but also for the commuters and pedestrians. Their wildcat strikes have often blackmailed authorities and inconvenienced commuters. During the last confrontation they even highhandedly stopped school vans and several other transport services. Unfortunately for the people authorities too have shown unprecedented softness in the face of these terror tactics and surrendered even without a fight. Even now they have declared their intention to oppose the decision to resurrect the CTB with all their might. It must be emphasised that the Government is only heeding a popular demand and has no intention of nationalising public transport en masse. What its action amounts to is creating a level playing field for private and state bus operators to compete and satisfy commuter needs better. According to a media report the Deputy Minister of Transport sounded apologetic when he gave excuses to the bus mudalalis that the government does not intend to compete with them or create a monopoly in the transport sector. True it is not a monopoly. But if the CTB does not intend to compete with the private sector what would be its task? Sri Lanka is not the only country that runs state buses. Even in the West state transport coexists and competes with the private transport. The state has a duty by the people to provide them adequate transport. It cannot wash its hands off and leave the people to the mercy of the mafia that is controlling transport today. Resurrecting the CTB is one thing. Managing it is another. The government should study why it was necessary to divest the CTB and what mismanagement led to its downfall. It was not a mere political decision. One well-known defect of the CTB was its excessive cadre, which was inflated beyond reasonable limits due to political expediencies. Recruitment as political patronage and management procedures was another factor that led to the CTB's downfall. The CTB was not only divested it was also cannibalised by the rulers of that day so as to assure heavy profits to the newly opened private sector. Directorates of the cluster bus companies were staffed with persons having economic interests in the private transport sector. If the resurrected CTB is to follow the same management procedures it would also meet the same fate that befell the old CTB. Hence introduction of proper management practices is a sine qua non for the success of the resurrected CTB. If people are to get a better and efficient bus service not only should the CTB be resurrected but also the private operators should be amalgamated into corporate bodies that could ensure better discipline on the roads and supply a more courteous service to commuters. *** The Presidential poll The Supreme Court has given the final verdict on the date of the next Presidential election ending the bitter controversy over the date among the Government and the Opposition. We are happy that the confusion is over. We are also happy that the Government, which claimed that the poll should be in 2006 has now accepted the Court ruling. We hope that no miscreants would "exercise their democratic will" and storm the houses of the Honourable Judges as it happened under a previous regime. We expect the contestants for the august post to conduct a disciplined campaign without mud slinging and violence so that the people could express their will freely. We also call upon them to lay before the people clear and precise policies that they propose to follow in the event of their election to the highest office in the land. |
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