Protest at Suriyawewa to ban sand transport

A tense atmosphere prevailed in Suriyawewa area last morning when the area residents staged a protest opposite Viharagala Maha Vidyalaya and obstructed the movement of tipper trucks transporting sand. They said Venivelara Grama Niladhari and her two children were riding on a motorcycle to school had been knocked down by a tipper truck and causing serious injuries to them.

The protestors said that the police had instructed the drivers to refrain from transporting sand by trucks during peak hours when the schools begin

The protestors said that the police had instructed the drivers to refrain from transporting sand by trucks during peak hours when the schools begin and in the afternoon when the schools close, but the sand transporters had ignored it. They pointed out that the movement of tipper trucks even before 7.00 a.m. which endangered the children prone to serious accidents.

OIC Suriyawewa Police said the drivers were instructed to transport sand by tipper trucks after 7.30 a.m. but they had turned a deaf ear. He said the area residents took to streets after the accident which injured the Grama Niladhari and her two children who were now under treatment at the hospital.

Police conduct routine checks on sand transport permits and allowed the trucks to proceed after about two hours.