Breathing fresh air on the Southern Expressway

Multiple accidents were reported on the Southern Expressway on Avurudu day

By Nimal Luxshman

Social media went viral, while print and electronic media too gave wide publicity about a few youth, reportedly from Akurana, being apprehended by the Police for driving recklessly on the Southern Expressway recently. 

These adventurous youth, who put their bodies out – with the shutters of their vehicle down – may not have realised the seriousness of their irresponsible behaviour. Apart from putting their own lives at risk, by behaving in a foolish manner from a vehicle driven at high speed, they undoubtedly distracted the other motorists who were on the same route behind them. 

The manner in which they sat on the windows of the vehicle and waved at other motorists gave rise to the question as to whether they badly needed to breathe fresh air. One wonders whether the AC unit of the vehicle in which they were travelling had a defect. Some others may have thought that it was the first time they were being driven on the Expressway. However, subsequently they were seen desperately attempting to cover their faces when boarding the bus of the Prisons Department.

If not for a motorist who seemed to have had a dash camera or another passenger to capture the vehicle in which the errant youth were travelling in, the stupid and dangerous conduct of theirs would have possibly gone unnoticed. 

Apprehending the suspects appear to have taken a few days, thus exposing the inadequate CCTV coverage on this route, which the Traffic Police must have access to. Installation of an adequate number of CCTV cameras at strategic points, on both sides of the Expressway, is therefore a necessity. 

Continuous surveillance of such cameras by a specially trained team of Police officers would no doubt help apprehending those who violate the rules. Availability of such technology and deployment of competent and well-trained officers would make it easy for the Police to deal with the violators of the law, expeditiously, possibly when they reach their exit points, 

The Southern Expressway has been built, by spending a colossal amount of money, borrowed from the Asian Development Bank and two other banks in Japan and China. They facilitate the general public to reach their destinations much faster, for a reasonable fee, though some others may argue that it is a costly option. Soon after the Sinhala New Year, media revealed that the income from the Expressways had reached a record high this year.

The Road Development Authority (RDA) has all the reasons to be happy and give wide publicity regarding the record income earned. However, as the premier highway authority in the country, the RDA is assigned with the responsibility of maintaining and developing the national highway network. Accordingly, it is of paramount importance for the RDA to ensure that motorists who use the Expressways receive value for their money, with the necessary facilities, of which safety takes pride of place. 

In countries such as Australia, warnings signs are being displayed at various locations on highways, to create awareness among motorists that CCTV cameras are in operation. Such warning notices would deter motorist from driving recklessly and putting the lives of all concerned at great risk. The Sri Lankan Traffic Police too could consider displaying such notices prominently, at selected places on the Expressway, so that motorists would resort to driving in a responsible and decent manner, minimising risks to all parties.

Another matter which got highlighted, as a result of this incident, is the fact that ownership of vehicles are being  transferred in violation of rules laid down by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT). Accordingly, the seller of a vehicle is bound to get prospective buyer to fill and sign the stipulated forms and submit them, along with a copy of the National Identity Card of the latter, to the DMT within the stipulated period of 14 days by registered post. Failure by the seller to comply with these requirements may make him liable for unnecessary complications, in the event the vehicle sold by him is involved in an incident violating the law. 

It was evident that the vehicle in which these youth were travelling on the Expressway had been sold by the original owner to another, on what is commonly known as “Open Papers”. Thus, the original owner too has made himself liable for prosecution for the failure on his part to abide by the law with regard to the transfer of ownership of his vehicle.  

It must be mentioned that a majority of the drivers are probably not aware of certain precautionary measures they are expected to adhere to when driving on the Expressway. One such requirement is the need to maintain a mandatory distance of 50 metres between two vehicles. 

Multiple accidents were reported from three locations on this route, on Avurudu day. Presumably, this is due to the fact that there had been an exodus of vehicles on the expressway. Ignorance of the requirement to maintain the mandatory distance requirement may have been a possible cause for these accidents. 

Eight vehicles are known to have been involved in collisions, on that day, though luckily no one had sustained any serious injuries. These incidents are reported to have aggravated the traffic congestion, delaying many motorists from reaching their destinations. Others who were travelling in the vehicles with met with accidents had been stranded till their vehicles were moved away by the RDA.

In conclusion, it must be mentioned that the first phase of the Southern Expressway from Kottawa to Galle had come into operation in November 2011. Many incidents would have taken place on this route during this near decade. 

The number of vehicles entering the Expressway has definitely increased while requirements of motorists may have undergone many changes during this period. Therefore, the RDA, Traffic Police and other authorities must to get together and review all operations connected with the Expressway in order to implement necessary changes in order to meet the current needs.