TOWARDS A CONGESTION FREE CITY AND PEOPLE-FRIENDLY ROAD ROUTES

Meeting at Western Province Governor’s office

Colombo Western Province Governor M. Azath S. Salley stressed it is the persistent wish of President Maithripala Sirisena that the city of Colombo should be free of congestion, and motorists should use the roads safely and pedestrians use the pavements without any hindrance.

The governor was speaking to concerned government officials from the Traffic Department, local bodies including the Colombo Municipal Council and the Urban Development Authority at a workshop on ‘Traffic Congestion in Colombo, at the governor’s office in Colombo on Thursday .

The governor made a presentation on traffic congestion in the city and invited constructive suggestions to ease the traffic snarls on Colombo roads.

The suggestions made on the floor of the house included that vehicles should not be parked on main roads during peak hours from 6.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m, retaining the pavements for pedestrians, synchronizing the traffic lights, and that coaches and three-wheelers should follow their assigned lanes at all times.

It was also decided to hold a follow-up meeting in early March to see the progress made, following the meeting on Thursday. It was decided to summon officials from local bodies, the Urban Development Authority, UDA, Road Development Authority, RDA, Sri

Lanka Telecom, Electricity Board and related bodies.

Soon after the meeting, the governor inspected the places where there are bottlenecks during traffic hours.

The suggestions made on the floor of the house included that vehicles should not be parked on main roads during peak hours from 6.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m, retaining the pavements for pedestrians, synchronizing the traffic lights, and that coaches and three-wheelers should follow their assigned lanes at all times