Once a week ban on light vehicles, best recourse

Pulse of the People by Ananda Kannangara

Public sector executive, Ashok Witharana was confident that fuel consumption could be drastically cut down if a new vehicular system is introduced here like in some countries.

"As there is no proper system, all types of heavy as well as light vehicles move along the same lane,"

"This situation creates not only traffic jams, but also wastage of fuel,".

He also requests the Petroleum Corporation to plan out more oil refineries since the current output is not enough to cater to our daily requirement.

"By that, it would help change the price of fuel and at the same time provide more employment".

An employee in a public sector institution, Tennison Sripala wants the Police to keep a check on heavy vehicles coming in to the city during peak hours.

He pointed heavy vehicles cause traffic jams and fuel consumption trends to be heavy at these points.

"During my overseas visits I have seen heavy vehicles like containers, long haulage vehicles and even lorries were prohibited from entering city roads between 9.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m., which make it easier other motorists to drive about easily'.

"This will help save fuel to a very grate extent,".

He also wants the Government to slash the fuel quota given to Parliamentarians as well as public sector officials , some of whom are entitled to free fuel allowance.

An owner of a hairdressing saloon, Rozanne Ossen said, "I suggest to the Government to put up overhead bridges at main junctions, to easy vehicular flow.

"I feel overhead bridges will be economically in the long run."

K. Shiromi of Nawala, Nugegoda said when roads are in decapitated conditions with hardly any maintenance properly vehicles tend to guzzle fuel.

"Therefore I suggest to the road authorities, the RDA do up the roads to save fuel," Shamal Priyadharshana said "At times we are held at junctions waiting for ministers and their back up vehicles to pass by,".

"I think under such situations, fuel wastage is very high,"

"Therefore I suggest to politicians and others bigwigs to travel in bullet proof vehicles rather than being a hindrance to other motorists as well as pedestrians,".

Dr. Kevin Peterson, resident in the Maldives and currently holydaying in Sri Lanka was not happy with the vehicular traffic system in our country and suggested that vehicles have to be categorised before they use the roads.

"I have visited Sri Lanka thrice during the past ten years and on this occasion I have found highways in a deplorable state".

"When all types of vehicles are allowed to run on the roads without being categorised, traffic jams are frequent occurrences and as a result the fuel consumption of all vehicles too go up,".

A Bank executive, Gihan Saravanamuttu said the present system in the city of Colombo creates traffic congestion during peak hours and the Government must do something about it to save fuel wastage.

"For example at the Tunmulla Junction or near Town Hall every morning, afternoon or in the evening, one can see large numbers of vehicles virtually crawling along and this situation had to remedied, at the earliest.

A mother of three, Radika Swarnakanthi of Bomiriya, Kaduwela said, "If the Government ban cars and motor cycles at least one day in a week, it will be a big saving on fuel.

University lecturer Kumarasiri Palihawadana of Hemmathagama wants the Government to cut down on the fuel allowance given to public sector officials by 50 per cent and minimise the fuel allowance of ministers and their back up vehicles.

Seventeen year old AL student at a leading school in Colombo, Kasuni Wickramanayake too was unhappy with the present traffic arrangements as vehicles tend to halt, start and crawl along main roads.

"Unlike earlier, we have to spend more money on fuel now, therefore I suggest to the authorities to revert to the old traffic system, so that fuel consumption could be reduced,"

Shiranthi Sendanayaka of Haldummulla wants the government to ban heavy vehicles from entering the city during peak hours. "When there are no traffic blocks, fuel consumption will automatically come down," she said.

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