Trans-portly Minister Nimal’s tuk-tuk idea

belts are introduced, it will reduce the number to two. It would mean that a family of three wishing to travel in a three wheeler will have to hire two: with the father travelling in one and the mother traveling with the child in another to the same destination on the same chocker blocker, bump- er to bumper road at double the cost. Secondly are three wheelers designed for seat belts, even as old cars still on the road are not? These tuk tuk are made for a quick get in and a quick exit and are mainly used for short distance city hires. Tuk-tuk drivers warn that a belted passenger would face graver risk should an accident occur for this would prevent him from getting out of the compact vehicle in a jiffy. It might even strap a person to his maker. Furthermore they pooh-pooh the idea claiming that this will be another opportunity for the cops to harass them and afford them another gold mine to earn more money from bribes. Mr. Siripala should tout his idea amongst, the tuk-tuk drivers, the passenger public and his officials further before he rings the meter with his seat belt law. He is in danger of antagonising the army of a million tuk-tuk drivers, and making hard times harder for the thousands who use them as a convenient mode of transport for short distances. Luckily for Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, he has his mega luxury vehicle to travel in style and comfort and thus would be spared the trials and travails of tuk-tuk travel. Otherwise he would have had a tough time finding a tuk-tuk with a seat belt long enough to wrap round his girth, let alone being able to get into a tuk- tuk at al.