Pera Uni Faculty of Engineering, Railways discuss how to prevent deaths on dangerous part of track

The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, is in discussions with the Department of Railways to plan a warning signal system from Getambe to Mulgampola- a stretch that has seen a number of deaths over the years.

The most recent was 15-yearold Sayuru a Grade 10 student of Kingswood College who tried to cross the railway line right below the overhead bridge, when he was run over by the train coming from Peradeniya to Kandy. Though a number of news items said he was using a cellular phone at the time, CCTV footage has shown that he had no cellular phone.

This spot has seen over 15 deaths, averaging one a year, and people around speak of a ‘curse’ after the death of a labourer who put his neck to the track about 15 years ago.

The railway track curves at this point creating a blind spot which is both a problem to the train driver and those crossing the track.

Dr Nimal Ratnayake of the Faculty of Engineering, who is involved in the discussions said they are working on how best to address the problem.

Dr Edirisinghe of the Faculty of Engineering, whom the Sunday Times contacted, said that an order was made by the Court of Appeal around 10 years ago when the Kandy Municipal Council contemplated a one-way traffic scheme (court case number SCFR 154/2007. It was discussed at the KMC traffic committee on 04.12.2007).

Kandy Municipality, to whom the order was given by Court, had not acted accordingly, but a few proposals were implemented such as making William Gopallawa Mawatha a four-lane divided road.

A number of councils and a management committee had been administering the Council, but this urgent need was not attended to. The order came about when the Kandy Municipal Council tried to implement a one-way traffic scheme and a school Principal Mr Wijesinghe went before Court.

The overhead bridge at this spot is not used due to its steep flight of steps. Dr Edirisinghe noted that the steps have been constructed on the bank of William Gopallawa Mawatha for people to climb on to the railway line, which is both detrimental and illegal.

Dr Edirisinghe, an expert on traffic and transportation engineering, said that Police or any other responsible authority should take immediate action and break the steps which is a stepping stone for these deaths on the railway line.