Daily News Editorial

Ending traffic snarls

12th October 2015

Over the weekend, the police conducted two traffic experiments with the aim of minimizing the traffic in Colombo and the suburbs. One was in the Rajagiriya area while the other was in Maharagama. The aim of the new uniflow plan in Rajagiriya is streamlining the traffic flow towards Colombo during the morning rush hour while the new plan for Maharagama is aimed at ending the suburban city’s perpetual gridlock. Only time will tell whether these plans are effective enough.

The Police, to their credit, try various methods to control the traffic in Colombo and its environs from time to time but not always with success. The problem lies in the massive number of vehicles entering the city every day, including Saturdays. With most of the 60,000 vehicles registered every month entering the roads in Western Province, the traffic crunch gets worse day by day. The roads leading to Colombo cannot be widened anymore, so the authorities will have to look for other alternatives.

First, the Police should study whether some of the uniflow systems in Colombo imposed by the previous regime primarily for security purposes of certain VIPs serve any purpose in a climate of peace. Instead of solving traffic snarls, some of these have actually aggravated them. The additional fuel consumption is another important factor. They also severely inconvenience bus passengers who sometimes have to walk a long way to the bus halt depending on the direction of travel. A scientific study should be carried out on the traffic flow efficiency on one way roads such as Galle Road, Reid Avenue, Slave Island, Havelock Road-Kirulapone (1630-2000) etc. and appropriate actions taken.

Second, the Police must not meddle with the traffic lights unless in an emergency. The Traffic Police are in the habit of turning off the traffic signals at key junctions in the morning and evening rush hours and controlling traffic manually, which generally leads to utter chaos with bumper to bumper traffic that is sometimes one kilometre long in any given direction. The traffic lights are designed and operated with the multi-directional traffic flow in mind and are far more efficient than a human could ever be, with the added bonus of never getting tired or angry. Just leave the lights alone and the traffic will generally take care of itself – the Police can book any offenders who run the red light.

Third, lane discipline is a must. Here’s where the Police should actually do something, like they have already done on the normal Katunayake Road. Buses, trucks, three wheelers and motor cycles must not be allowed to hog the faster outer (right) lane. This will allow other traffic to go faster. And on the part of motorists, they should know exactly where they are going, so that the correct lane can be used. If you have to turn right in 500 metres, it does not do you and other motorists any good if you are still in the left lane.

Fourth, the authorities should explore the possibility of levying a London style congestion charge (exempted for electric cars) or a road fund from motorists entering Colombo and also popularizing the concept of carpooling. Some cities in various countries already do not allow cars with just one occupant to enter the Central Business District. Moreover, cars with two people or more are given priority in traffic lanes. Some countries also give duty concessions for cars which can only be used on public holidays and on weekends. There are countries which allow anyone with a valid driving licence to ride a 125 CC or less automatic scooter without applying for a separate licence, to encourage the use of scooters that have a much smaller footprint.

Fifth, and the most important of all, is persuading motorists to leave their cars at home and use public transport. One bus can take at least 40 cars off the road and one train can take around 1,000 cars off the road. Apart from saving time, one can imagine the quantity of fuel that can be saved if more people opt to use public transport. However, this is easier said than done, because our public transport system is woefully inadequate and most motorists would not even contemplate the idea. It is therefore essential to have a much better air-conditioned bus service at least until a fully air-conditioned electric train service to the suburbs comes along. A monorail service linking Battaramulla to Colombo has been proposed and suburbs such as Malabe and Piliyandala are also crying out for train services. We also need a reliable fleet of car-based taxis which can be hailed on the street and a gradual phasing out of three wheelers at least from the major cities is desirable.

With Colombo poised to achieve megapolis status in the next few years, traffic management must be essentially incorporated in those plans. A city without traffic jams should be a number one priority of megapolis planners.