Our transport sector has deteriorated in all four parameters - Dr. Gunaruwan

by Gamini Warushamana

Dr. Lalitasiri Gunaruwan has been a Transport Economist, Senior Lecturer at the University of Colombo and a consultant to the Ministry of Transport for over ten years. He is also in the governing bodies of the CGR and SLTB for a decade. He explains to the Sunday Observer why the country?s transport sector has been deteriorating.

There are four areas that measure the status of the transport sector. First the mobility (time taken to move passengers and goods from one location to another), Second the accessibility (how comfortable to access the transport services to people), third, the affordabelity (fare of transport services and income of the people) and fourth the quality of the service. Dr. Gunaruwan said that our transport sector has deteriorated in all these parameters.

When asked what did the advisors do until the transport sector of the country was ruined, Dr.Gunaruwan said that this is not a result of lack of advice or wrong advice. From Pioneer transport expert John Diandas in 1950s to myself and many other experts who consulted the policy makers have produced proposals, policy papers showing the way to develop the sector?. The core of these proposals (NDTc transport cluster report 1997-98, Bus policy report, Diandas report, NCED transport cluster report and Mahinda Chintana) is as follows.

* Public transport should be the priority in the national transport policy.

* Improve railway service to attract commuters and develop it as the main long distance transport mode.

* To implement an economically realistic and socially acceptable fare policy for the service.

* Plan economic development and human settlement policies to promote public transport.

* The need of management efficiency and independence to the state sector transport services (CGR and SLTB) which includes eliminating political interference.

* Introduce effective legislation that strengthen public ownership of the state transport agencies (which will enable people to sue the institutions when they fail to provide the service satisfactorily)

* A long term investment policy.

Dr. Gunaruwan said that they have prepared the report after report on these matters and policy makers overlooked them and that was the reason for the present crisis in the sector.

Railway service: The railway service can largely contribute to the local transport sector but the service is extremely poor due to various reasons. Quality has deteriorated and punctuality, comfort, speed and other extra services are absent. The railway has become the transport mode of the poorest while the upper and middle income people used their own vehicles adding to traffic congestion.

Dr. Gunaruwan said that successive governments are responsible for the present crisis in the railway service. There are no spare parts for locomotives and rolling stocks, poor rail tracks, signal systems inefficient and corrupt management and many issues are in the railway. As a result the upcountry trains run at even 5kMPH.

The main cause for these issues is the rail fare policy enforced on the CGR by the government. The CGR is discriminated against all other transport modes as it is permitted to revise rail fare with increasing cost. Today the rail fare for a passenger KM is less than 50 cents while the bus fare is 85 cents per passenger Km. The railway has to maintain tracks, bridges, stations and even railway crossings with this low fare. If the government wants to maintain a cheaper rail fare the treasury should compensate it with a subsidy. In real terms subsidies granted by the treasury have come down. In the 1960s the CGR received $75 million as capital grants and today it is only $ 40 million.This financial crisis creates management inefficiency in the CGR and it breeds corruption. The CGR authorities now have an excuse to escape all issues it faces due to their fault. To improve the railway service the treasury and the government should address this financial issue either allowing the CGR to raise the fare or provide subsidies, Dr Gunaruwan said.

Policy makers and CGR authorities have brought fancy and very expensive projects. But unless these issues are corrected all these projects will end in failure.

The interest component of the loans of these fancy projects is sufficient to improve the existing railway system, he said.

Bus service:Dr. Gunaruwan said that for a better bus transport system the state sector should be the leader in the market holding at least 60% of the market share. Then the standard and best practices will be set by the SLTB and quality of the service will improve. Today it is done by the private sector and you know their standard and quality, he said.Today the SLTB faces a serious managerial crisis. After the new Act (SLTB Act No.27-2005) cluster bus companies were abolished. Now all the responsibilities are at the centre and it is a big challenge. A structure is needed to administrate bus depots, financial and HR management, technical issues and maintenance of the fleet. It is the priority and not merely purchasing new buses. New buses will run until their first tyre sets to wear out. We have to repair 300 engines every month. Regional workshops have to be reopened soon.

The SLTB is one of the worst institutions as trade unions interfere in the management. Whatever party in power this situation continues. CGR trade unions are thousand times better and more responsible than SLTB TUs. This situation has to change for any prudent development in the institution.

(To mark National Transport Week)

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