Monday, 12 August 2013 01:04
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DURING the first six months of this year, 132 fatal accidents involving three-wheelers occurred, while 535 accidents resulted in serious injuries to the victims. Some 1,500 three-wheeler accidents resulted in minor injuries and 1,321 accidents caused damage to vehicles and property. So attempts are now being made to regulate three-wheeler drivers in what can only be termed as a long overdue move.
Many commuters use metered three-wheelers in Sri Lanka despite being incessantly ripped off by the drivers. In many instances, the meters are rigged to exorbitant amounts and there is next to no monitoring of payments nor is there a legally enforced fee structure.
What initially emerged as a movement to professionalise three-wheelers, commuters soon found themselves given the shorter end of the stick when drivers that operate outside of companies decided to charge any fee they chose from users.
When meters were first introduced, there was much protest as drivers felt that it would be unprofitable for them. When this was proved not to be so and they were getting sidelined by metered three-wheelers, they eventually came on board but without any intention of being fair by the consumer. Random fuel increases by the Government did not help the commuters’ cause either because it justified the inconsistent meter charges.
New regulations will make it compulsory for all three-wheelers to be fitted with standardised meters that have been tested by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles or an authorised officer. The meters would be tested at least once a year. Regarding the meters, the regulation states that each driver should also issue a receipt to the commuter. This system is beset by implementation bottlenecks since thousands of three-wheelers need to be monitored consistently, thus leaving the onus to the public to make complaints.
And this is exactly what the fresh regulations hope to do. Commuters now have recourse to the Police over errant three-wheeler drivers. New motor traffic (motor tricycle) regulations, now effective, will enable passengers to complain to the Police, the Consumer Affairs Authority or the Motor Traffic Department.
According to reports, drivers have to conduct themselves in a civil and orderly manner, should not smoke, should not terminate the hire before he has been discharged and should carry the passengers to their destinations by the shortest route within the shortest time unless otherwise requested by the passenger.
Regulations will also make it compulsory for drivers to display behind the driver’s seat the registration number, the name of the driver, along with his photograph, the driving licence number and telephone numbers to inform in case of an emergency.
The regulations also insist that the vehicle should be in good condition and able to function competently – a point that will take dozens of three-wheelers out of the running.
Perhaps the only point in these regulations that one could protest against is that the famous three-wheeler sayings will have to be removed. While this makes practical sense, there is also much about the three-wheeler community and its identity being shared by this quirky and witty form of communication. Many would be sad to see it go.
But they would readily applaud the setting up of a fare review committee and the introduction of a price formula for the first kilometre and subsequent kilometres.
