500-strong police force for Southern Expressway

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The Police Department will deploy around 500 personnel for duties along the Southern Expressway, under the Expressway Police Division which has been formed exclusively for highway duties after it is opened to traffic, Senior DIG Traffic Management and Police Field Force Headquarters Asoka Wijetilleka told the Sunday Observer.

“Under this Division we will operate radio cars and motorcycle patrols which will be for expressway duties only.

Which will be on 24 hours on all seven days. It will be on a shift basis, he added.

“We have identified Kurundugahahetekma as the Expressway Police Division headquarters which would be the central point of the Expressway once the construction is completed up to Matara,” he added.

According to DIG Wijetilleka, Police personnel will be deployed for traffic, firefighting, paramedical duties and for the security at the toll collection points.

“For the first time in Sri Lanka Police personnel will be deployed in firefighting units and also as paramedics.

We are giving them training. Paramedics have been selected from the Special Task Force and the firefighting units are undergoing training at present, he added.

According to him, traffic control units will be based initially at Gelanigama, Kurundugahahatakma and Pinnaduwa.

In addition to these, the RDA will also deploy patrol teams to help and support the police for patrolling, accident clearing operations and also to identify unroadworthy vehicles.

“We also intend to have a traffic communications and information centre operated by the RDA besides our own Police communications which will link up Gelanigama, Kurundugahahetekma and Pinnaduva Units, he added.

“In addition to the 350 policemen for traffic and security, the paramedics and firefighting units will have 108 personnel. Altogether there will be over 500 from the Police for expressway duties,” he added.