Road Safety – “NEVER” in Sri Lanka

The above title given to this piece was chosen from a like minded saying in one of Lee Quan Yew’s writings referring to Sri Lanka that “This Country can “NEVER” be put right again.”

The writer’s genuine efforts to promote safety on our roads started in 1978 the year I returned from the UK, seeing the state on our roads started with a simple letter titled “Who can solve this problem ?” which appeared in a paper called SUN on 21.05.1981.

The writer’s determination with the support of a small group of like minded professionals continued till 1988, the year I received a WHO Fellowship to Singapore promoted by the National Committee on Prevention of Accidents (NCPA) of the Ministry of Health of which I was a co-opted as a member based entirely on my own contributions to this subject.

On my return with the help of a few like minded doctors and the WHO, it was possible to organise a “Seminar cum Exhibition titled ” Introduction to the Basics of Lane Discipline” supported by a physical model 16’ x 8’ ft held at the OPA with the then Minister of Health and the WHO Resident Representative as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively.

The exhibition was well altended by the public except for the boycotting by the Traffic Police who were conspicuous by their absence.

The opposing group on the other hand supported the creation of a body called “National Council for Road Safety” existing even today as an expensive White Elephant while our roads are turning into a massive killing field,

Let me conclude this piece with an appeal to the good Editor of The Island, who gave unstinted support to all our work from the beginning to at last give some insight from what was published in the The Island newspaper of September 22, 23, 24 of 2005 for completeness as well as an eye opener to those at the top that a solution as still available but certainly not under the present regime.

Eng. Anton Nanayakkara

Charted Civil Engineer (retd)