Chaos and confusion rules at Kochchikade
At Kochchikade in Negombo, a number of nefarious individuals seem to have taken control of state property to run their private business enterprises.
For instance a block of land situated by the Kochchikade rail gate and belonging to the railway authorities is being used by a particular female as a private vehicle park for motor cycles and push bikes. She charges a fee for parking.
The weekly Wednesday fair is held on railway property and has been a source continuing dispute between the railway authorities and those responsible for organising the fair.
What is worse is the stench and filth which accumulates in the aftermath of the fair which is not cleared until the following Tuesday.
To add to the confusion, around 15 tenement dwellers have put up dwellings which are an eyesore, on lands belonging to the CGR and adjoining the railway quarters. The new dwellings prevents, railway workers from clearing the land and keeping it presentable.
Adding to the distress of the public are dozens of makeshift stalls which have sprung up along the pavement and put road users at risk as they have to now walk along the main road.
The sudden moving of bus stops from their original places has resulted in buses stopping in the middle of the road to drop off and pick up passengers, endangering lives of passengers and other road users alike.
This haphazard system of buses stopping in the middle of the road to drop off or pick up passengers, also disrupts the smooth flow of traffic and is also responsible for long traffic snarl-ups.