Move to increase traffic fines: Is it justifiable?
In the backdrop of eight Sri Lankans losing their precious lives in road collisions daily, it is high time that we as concerned professionals addressed numerous facets of ‘Traffic Accidents’ and discuss matters topical, especially the proposed increase in traffic fines.
In this context, I wish to place the following extracts drawn from the final report presented in Parliament on December 12, 2014 by a Select Committee which looked into the alarming increase in traffic accidents.
The following information, which would refresh your memory in deciding whether the proposed increase in traffic fines should be implemented, will be important. Extracts from the report along with my observations have been included.
The Government bears the primary responsibility for road safety. Traffic accidents need to draw serious attention of the Government. Strong leadership, continued interventions and sufficient financial and human resources are essential for improving road safety, in addition to the political will and the commitment of the government.
Improving road safety should be considered as a social imperative and the Government should be held accountable for its actions and failures. Visible political commitment will mobilise public support for improvement of road safety.
Industrialisation, motorisation and sustainable economic development contribute greatly to the increase in road traffic accidents. Sri Lanka is rapidly heading towards these growth statuses and therefore the Government needs to pay greater attention for road safety more than ever before.
Road accidents are a huge and complex problem -- and active participation of many organisations and sectors is required to overcome this situation. Different line ministries, departments and institutions as well as provincial ministries and local government institutions share the responsibilities of road safety activities at different levels. Also important in accident prevention efforts is the participation of the private sector, civil society organisations and professionals.
Therefore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive and effective mechanism to coordinate the activities of these different stakeholders. This effective mechanism is identified as road safety management or institutionalised system for road safety. Therefore, the Committee recommended that an institutionalised system for road safety management underpinned with Government’s commitment at the highest level and supplemented with adequate financial support and human resources at the national level be set up immediately to address the alarming increase in traffic accidents in Sri Lanka.
The conditions of roads are one of the important factors causing traffic accidents. This is recognised by road safety experts all over the world. The World Report on Road Traf fic Injury Prevention -- issued jointly by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank -- and the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety issued by the World Health Organisation identify the status of roads as a major factor for accidents. But regular maintenance of roads is equally important to achieve road safety.
As expressways are designed to a high level of highway design standards, accidents on expressways are minimal. Accordingly, if other roads are also designed to reasonable standards, accidents on such roads will also be reduced.
The Committee studied as to whether the road network in Sri Lanka is adequate to meet the increasing number of vehicles. According to the National Road Master Plan ( 2007- 2017) of the Road Development Authority, at Independence in 1948, Sri Lanka had about 11,000 km of trunk roads (Highways), of which 7,000 km were paved.
Accordingly, only a little mileage (‘B’ class roads) -- 726 Km -- has been added to the road network in Sri Lanka in the past 64 years after Independence: ‘A’ roads-nil, ‘AB’ roads- nil, and ‘AC’ roadsnil, except for the two expressways. Nevertheless, the total vehicle population of the country has increased by about 298 percent in the past 16 years. The vehicle population in 2000 was 1,706,382 and it had increased to 6,795,469 in 2016 -- a 298 percent increase.
The Ministry of Highways in its website has acknowledged the inadequacy of the road network to meet the increasing traffic volume. As per the website, even though Sri Lanka has an extensive road network, most roads were built about 50 years ago and do not possess the capacity to cope with increasing traffic volumes.
Therefore there’s an urgent need to improve the capacity and efficiency of the road network to meet the growing transport requirements of the country and avoid the road network becoming an impediment to national development.
Any delay in improving the road network to meet the increasing number of vehicle will lead to greater traffic congestion, a higher rate of accidents, especially in the urban areas, and economic loss. While on the one hand, enhanced road capacity plays a significant role in national development, on the other hand, unsafe overtaking even on twolane- two- way national highways can undermine road safety.
The inadequate capacity of trunk roads poses major challenges to the fast growing traffic. Traffic levels now exceed the design capacity of many trunk roads. Increasing traffic volumes and a traffic mix consisting of motorised and non- motorised traffic have resulted in low traffic speeds, severe traffic congestions and increased accident rates. The capacity constraints have created severe safety problems. However, to embed safety into new road projects, the Ministry of Highways and the RDA should incorporate Road Safety Audits and make it compulsory for all highway projects.
According to the Asian Development Bank, the road capacity in Sri Lanka will need to be doubled every 08 to 10 years to meet the rising demand.
Steps should be taken to develop A1, A2, A3 and A4 roads within the Western Province immediately. These roads need to be widened, their surface should be improved and road safety facilities should be introduced. Likewise, highways in Southern, Central, Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces need to be developed on a prioritised basis.
It is the responsibility of the Transport Ministry to provide the public with an efficient and safe system of transport -- both by road and rail at affordable cost and a service that is responsive to social and economic development in the country.
Traffic congestion has become a major challenge on Sri Lankan roads, especially in urban areas. It is the motorists’ greatest nightmare in peak hours! Improving public transportation will be most simple and cost effective solution to this problem. Traffic congestion may be defined as having more vehicles on the road than it was designed for.
The use of private vehicles has increased rapidly over the past 12 years. Three wheelers and motorcycles which are more prone to accidents contribute immensely for this increase: The Committee deliberated as to why people prefer private vehicles to public transport and found that the following factors influence them: 1) Non-availability of public transport 2) Lack of frequency 3) Lack of connectivity 4) Slow moving 5) Uncomfortable and badly maintained seats Overloading Unruly behaviour of drivers and conductors Unroadworthy vehicles Social status/women being sexually molested in buses and inappropriate bus routes. The National Transport Commission should address these concerns and improve the public transport service. 6) 7) 8) 9)
The Department of Motor Traffic is responsible for registration of vehicles, transfer of ownership of vehicles, issuing driving licences, providing technical services regarding motor vehicles, certifying road-worthiness of vehicles, educating drivers on road safety issues and supervising driving schools, among other functions.
The committee sees an urgent need to maintain a continuous supervision of driving schools by the Motor Traffic Department to ensure proper licensing and driver training under a uniform curriculum. The driver trainees should be made fully conversant with road rules and signs and made to respect these to become good drivers. The Department inspects the vehicles used by driving schools to train would- be drivers and issue a sticker to vehicles approved for the purpose.
Action to be taken to appoint raid parties to conduct surprise inspection of driving schools by a team comprising officials of the Transport Ministry, the Department of Motor traffic and Police ( excluding the Examiner of Motor Vehicles).
The Ministry of Transport may establish a task force to carry out surprise checks on driver training schools with the participation of officials from the Ministry, the Department of Motor Traffic and police ( excluding the Examiner of Motor Vehicles).
The Present system of issuing licenses by the Department has to be improved with a new computerised system, subject to a mandatory probationary period.
Apparently due to unsatisfactory practical tests conducted by the Department in issuing driving licences, inexperienced drivers get involved in accidents. It is suggested that driving test tracks as maintained in Singapore be laid in the main provincial towns to conduct proper practical driving tests.
Re g u l a t i o n s contained in Government Gazette 245 of 13/ 05/ 1983 and 248 of 03/06/1983 to be amended on a priority basis to comply with the specifications of new vehicles including three wheelers. Regulations relevant to accessories including horns, additional lamps and lights are to be strictly conformed with.
The Ministry of Law and Order and its main law enforcement arm - the Police Department -- have to do a herculean task in maintaining good road safety discipline and create greater awareness among road users with regard to the proper use of roads and the need to obey road rules. Although the task of the Police is unenvious, they still need to maintain the highest standards of integrity and road discipline while carrying out their duties often under trying conditions.
Law enforcement
Effective traffic law enforcement plays an important role in reducing traffic accidents. Three major factors that cause road accidents are human factors, road factors and vehicle factors. Traffic collisions usually referred to as ‘Accidents’ are chiefly caused due to human errors which could be reduced largely by strict law enforcement coupled with education and awareness programmes by instilling road discipline in the minds of both drivers and pedestrians as well as other road users, apart from conducting such programmes in schools.
(To be continued next week)
(The wrtier served as the Director Traffic & Deputy Inspector General of Police (Traffic) for more than 14 years and in National Safety Councils and several National Road Safety Committees engaged in Traffic Administration and Road Safety for well over 30 years in Sri Lanka. He has been involved in assisting in drafting laws relating to the Motor Traffic Act, Vehicle Ordinance and Regulations since 1987.)