Corporate survey for f lexi-hours work
Solving traffic congestion:
By Chandani Jayatilleke
A survey of big companies is to be conducted by the Western Region
Megapolis Planning Project office with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce,
to decide how to introduce flexible work hours as a part of initiatives
to overcome delays caused by the worsening traffic congestion, which
city planners say reduces economic efficiency.
“We want to run a survey – targeting big companies which have a large
number of workers,” said Head of Investments of the Western Region
Megapolis Planning Project office, Nayana Mawilmada. “The survey will be
conducted with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with whom we are having
discussions,” he said in an interview with the Business Observer. “It
will identify who will benefit through the introduction of flexi hours
as some industries may not find it feasible. We want to know how
practical it is and how transport can be worked out.” The government and
the private sector are considering the introduction of flexible work
hours and make more use of digital technology such as video conferencing
to get around delays caused by traffic congestion which is becoming
worse with the continuing import of private vehicles.
The initiative includes the shift to electronic commerce such as
using digital transactions instead of cash or cheques and electronic
import-export documentation with a single-window system that has been
introduced but is yet to reach its potential, private sector officials
said.
Economic planners say delays caused by traffic gridlocks, increases
costs for businesses and hampers economic activity which they fear could
erode the competitiveness of exporters in international markets.
Mawilmada said that one of the aims of flex-hours would be to reduce
the peak time or rush hour traffic, which forces people to waste time on
the road.
“We are trying to dull the peak. We want to do it in a very
productive way, parallel to the State sector.”
The introduction of flexible and staggered working hours is one of
the main proposals of a joint Cabinet Memorandum on the implementation
of the comprehensive transport management plan in the Western Region
Megapolis which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers a few months
ago.
According to the Cabinet paper, “flexible working hours should be
introduced in public and private sector institutions to spread the peak
load of the traffic flow. This will help the reduction of traffic volume
and congestion during peak times by shifting the drivers’ commute to
less congested hours and spreading the peak period.”
In an interview with the Business Observer in June, Chairman, Ceylon
Chamber of Commerce, Samantha Ranatunga said the proposal will have huge
support from the private sector.
“The entire private sector is willing to take this discussion forward
and bring out a workable, practical solution to the traffic issue. It
has to be a concerted effort,” he said. |