News
Public interest vs Vested interests
The pubic as are usual victims of business people encroaching pavements and areas meant for the public use. Already many such areas have been illegally taken over. This situation extends even to the newly re-constructed roads which government has allocated as ‘cycle lanes,’ which are meant specifically for public use.
This pavement hawker who displays his wares has blocked off the entire pavement
An accident waiting to happen: Pedestrians forced onto the middle of the road while business people take up the space
No space for pedestrians: Traders unloading goods on the pavement force pedestrians to off the pavements
Cyclists are forced out of their area as the cycle lane has turned into a parking lot!
Lorries unloading goods blocking both motorists and pedestrians
The signs are plainly written for all to see… but these bus drivers do not care a hoot
A case in point is the Mattakkuliya area where one of the key roads is linked to the bridge over the Kelaniya river.
A cycle lane is clearly demarcated on both sides of the road, but these spaces have now been turned into parking areas for buses.
Our cameraman caught a number of instances where the public is being hindered. At the lane round Beira Lake in Colombo a king coconut seller plies a brisk trade in an area allocated for civilians. The seller has completely blocked the space and pedestrians are forced to get onto the main road.
Buses and lorries parked on lanes demarcated has forced cyclists to cut in and out of traffic. It is unlikely pedestrians could use these areas as they are blocked by pavement hawkers and shop owners who sell their wares in lanes allocated for pedestrians said K. Wimala (42) a mother of two, who lives in Pepliyana
R. Ramasundaram (51) from Wellawatte said pedestrians are rarely able to use the lanes dedicated to them. They have almost forgotten that the pavement exists, he said.
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