Pot-holed roads, a nightmare for motorists

by Carol Aloysius

Pitted roads, sudden dips and depressions due to rains are posing serious safety risks to drivers and passengers..The worst affected roads are in the Pettah and Fort leading all the way to Dehiwela and Mt. Lavinia, several motorists told the Sunday Observer.

Potholed-roads, a common sight in Colombo

Three wheeler-driver, H. Farouke said he had counted at least ten pot holes on his regular route from the Fort to Bambalapitiya via Duplication Road - six starting from the Rio Cinema hall, upto the Traffic Lights before Sir James Peiris Mawatha. Lukshman another three wheeler driver said his front wheel had got loose and the vehicle had skidded on a rainy day missing a passing bus by inches.

"It is very unsafe driving on this road especially in the evening as it gets very dark early and you cant see the road properly ", Nelson a van driver said.

Car driver, Dudley said his biggest fear was that he could meet with an accident caused by vehicles suddenly swerving into his path to avoid the holes. Heloise, an elderly housewife complained she had developed a spine problem when her driver had gone over one of the many potholes that flanked the Nawaloka Hospital.Colombo Municipal officers when contacted said the roads were continually maintained .

A.C. Samarasekera who oversees the Wellawatte-Bambalapitiya stretch of road said his maintenance crew immediately repaired any crack that appeared on the road before it widened. His colleague engineer Jagath Guruge however, denied there were holes on the roads in the Colombo Municipal area... "They are newly rehabilitated roads and our maintenance crew inspects the roads daily due to the rains. If there is a crack we carpet the road to prevent it spreading", he said.