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Motorists snap fingers at lane laws despite 500 cases filed
The rain was being used as an excuse by motorists to break the lane law. Pix by Ishanka Sunimal
The “lane law” became effective from Monday but most motorists ignored them whenever traffic police were not present.
Since Monday, police have filed cases against 500 errant motorists, Deputy Inspector-General (Traffic) Senior Superintendent Ajith Rohana said yesterday. “We will keep booking them. We will not relent,” he warned.
The lane law requires motorists to stay in a specific lane instead of overtaking as they please.
“We will ensure that motorists also do not encroach into priority lanes reserved for buses since that holds up a large number of commuters,” DIG Rohana said.
The worst offenders, private buses, three-wheeler scooter taxis and motor cyclists, were using the rain as an excuse to break the law, police said.
“Each day, we file at least 15 court cases against drivers who break the lane law,” Sub-Inspector Prabath Kaluarachchi said in Kotahena.
“They have a new excuse: they say that since it is raining they have to go faster to either to drop passengers in covered places or simply to avoid getting wet themselves,” he said.
He had not seen any improvement in drivers as they disregarded the lane law whenever police enforcement was lacking.
In Kollupitiya, SI Janaka Weerasinghe said the rain excuse was also being used by culprits breaking the lane law between the Bambalapitiya and Kollupitiya junctions.
“Since there are four lanes it is quite easy to manage the traffic when the lane system is implemented but drivers of buses and three-wheelers are tending to disregard the lane laws when picking up people, claiming they cannot allow people to get wet in the rain,” he said.
Senior Professor of the Department of Transport and Logistics at the University of Moratuwa, Amal Kumarage urged police to stay on the job.
“People in Sri Lanka naturally take time to start following directives. This law must be made a habit for people. Police should keep up routine checks in Colombo as well as areas in outstations,” he said.
Former Traffic DIG Amarasiri Senaratne said the public had flouted lane laws for years. “Even the most educated people, when they become drivers in this country, behave irresponsibly and selfishly disregard the lives of other people. They don’t care about fines or legal action as they can pay fines,” he said.
