Road safety, a priority on key roads in city

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

On the recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee to look into safety issues, the Highways Ministry will take steps to improve road safety measures within a 50 kilometre radius around the Colombo city covering key roads leading to and from Colombo, said Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Road Development Ranjith Pemasiri.

Accordingly, road safety measures will be implemented within a 50 kilometre radius covering the Colombo Kandy A-1 road, Colombo - Galle A-2 road, Peliyagoda - Puttalam A-3 road and Highlevel A-4 road.

"We will have lane markings, pedestrian crossings, lighting, footwalks for pedestrians, underpasses and overhead bridges for road safety. It will be done in phased out programs and expedited this year", he said.

In developing the national road network, road safety also comes into focus as the speed of the vehicles also increases with the improvement of roads.

"Earlier, our focus was to bring the condition of roads to an acceptable level. That was the main idea. When we rehabilitate and improve those roads to a certain level road safety becomes a major concern because the speed of the vehicles increase with the development of roads propelling more road accidents", he said.

"The road safety decade has also been declared by the United Nation and we are planning to adopt road safety measures especially in the Western Province", he said.

The Highways Ministry is also focusing on reducing congestion in the Colombo city.

"We can witness the congestion in Colombo even after the completion of the expressway up to Kottawa. We are widening the road from Kottawa to Colombo and are also Pannipitiya - Thalawathugoda road to a four lane road. There is still congestion and in time to come will increase with influx of more vehicles, he said.