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Duelling buses cause a death every day
Violation of traffic rules: A bus stops on a pedestrian crossing to pick up a passenger. Pic by Anuradha Bandara
Every other day someone dies in a bus accident as the authorities struggle to discipline recklessly competitive bus drivers.
“They bet who is the fastest or try to get more passengers in order to earn more money but forget that they are supposed to protect 75 passengers aboard and the people on the roads,” the Chairman of National Council for Safety, Dr Sisira Kodagoda, said.
In the 10 months of this year to October, at least 169 persons were killed in bus accidents – in bus collisions with other vehicles, with passengers falling off buses or buses running over pedestrians.
“Mostly the racing is done by private bus drivers,” Dr. Kodagoda said. “Sounding their horns, they drive at small vehicles, causing many accidents.”
Of the 169 deaths, 131 – including 30 passengers – had been caused by privately-run buses, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Traffic) Palitha Fernando said.
A common allegation made by passengers and pedestrians is that private buses drive dangerously with impunity because most are owned by influential persons including businessman, politicians and even by senior police officers, but DIG Fernando said the law was implemented against all persons equally.
He said that of the Sri Lankan Transport Board bus fatalities, 13 were passengers who died after falling off footboards.
“Bus accidents are mostly a result of poor discipline: we never see a bus driver waiting until passengers finish climbing on board or getting off the bus,” DIG Fernando said.
He too accused drivers of driving deliberately at smaller vehicles to force them to give way, and added that they use all three lanes of traffic.
Last year, buses caused 4,919 accidents claiming the lives of 320 persons – nearly 15 per cent of road deaths.
Government and private buses running on the same route at the same time provoked drivers to race each other, the National Transport Commission’s Director Of Quality Assurance, Sherin Atukorala said.
Although timetables were drawn up to resolve that problem none of the parties accepted the times set for them.
“We have a system to regulate buses by fixing GPS systems to monitor speed in private buses but that scheme is making slow progress because negotiations have to be held separately with each bus owner to obtain consent to fix trackers in their buses,” Ms. Atukorale said.
She said the Road Development Authority should create bus lanes on future roads and make it mandatory for buses to use only that lane.
The head of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association, Gemunu Wijeratne, said there were 20,000 buses fighting each other for earnings. He claimed that if the lane system was carried out most accidents could be avoided.
The Chairman of the Southern Private Bus Owners Federation, Chandana Zoysa, said VAT had increased the cost of bus parts and so drivers had to compete with each other to make a living. He said the government should create timetables.
