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Hair-raising ordeal highlights tour sector’s crash
A Negombo tour guide’s family’s terrifying ordeal has highlighted the grim situation of guides and drivers who have suffered the double blow to business of the Easter Sunday bombings and the pandemic and find themselves unable to pay back loans.
Tourism workers’ associations have called on the government to ensure that a loan moratorium granted to those in the sector be honoured. They say that despite a Central Bank circular announcing the moratorium would be extended until September 30, some finance companies and banks are failing to honour the agreement.
Mr Wasantha Medagoda, spokesman for SLTCU explains the ordeal that his colleague went through when some men tried to seize his vehicle while he was driving along the Colombo - Chilaw main road with his wife and children
Sri Lanka Tourist Chauffeurs Unity Secretary Samanth Suriyaaarachchi, said since last month three vehicles had been seized by institutions that had provided leasing funds while a violent attempt to seize a fourth vehicle had been foiled.
The Chauffeur Tourist Guide Lecturers’ Association has also expressed concern.
“The government should take care of the tourism sector, which was one of the biggest contributors to the economy,” association Vice President Ranjith Sudasinha said.
The Sunday Times has learned of a hair-raising incident in which personnel employed by a finance company tried to seize a vehicle leased by a tour guide, almost strangling his 10-year-old son in the attempt.
The guide, 47-year-old Pradeep Sampath Perera, a resident of Periyamulla, Negombo, had not been able to keep up with his car payments due to the punishing drop in business across the sector.
With tears in eyes, his wife, Dushyanthi, recalled the horrifying incident when a group of men attacked the family.
“On May 8, my husband, two children and I were travelling on the Colombo-Chilaw road in our car after buying provisions for the three months’ alms-giving for my late mother,” she said.
“It was about 1.40pm. Just before the traffic lights at Periyamulla, a motorcyclist slowed down beside us and, pointing to a wheel of our car, said something. My husband pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car and bent to look at the wheel.
“Just then, a three-wheeler and two other motorcycles stopped by us and one of the people in them pushed my husband aside and tried to get into our car. I was in the front passenger seat. Our two sons were in the rear seat.
“My husband asked ‘Why? Why is this?’ They said, ‘We are from the finance company. We are going to seize your vehicle.’
“We both said, ‘Let’s go to the police and settle it’ but one of them said, ‘No need for the police. Give us your vehicle’.”
The man had tried to force his way into the driver’s seat, Mrs. Perera said. Her husband had struggled with the man and managed to push him away, and then scrambled into the seat and locked the door – but another man had climbed into the car through a rear door.
“Thinking there would be police on duty at the traffic lights, my husband began to drive the car at great speed to reach them,” Mrs. Perera said. “The rear door was still open and that man was sitting on my son, trying to reach over and take the car key.
“My little son cried ‘mata barai , mata barai’ ( too heavy, too heavy). When I turned my head, I saw him strangling my little son and threatening, ‘Give the key or I will kill your son’,” Mrs. Perera said.
“My elder son shouted at him, saying ‘My little brother may die. Leave him! Leave him!’ and was trying to pull at the man’s hands. That person slapped my elder son and pushed him aside but my elder son didn’t give up pushing him back.
“The car was going at great speed with the horn sounding, and when it stopped at the traffic lights that man fell out but he ran behind the car and tried to get back in through the door on the other side but my elder son had already locked that door.
“I lowered my window to shout for help. The man put his hand through it and took the key of the car and ran away. My husband chased after him but the man got onto a motorbike that had been following us, and fled.’
Police who arrived on the scene escorted the family to the Negombo Police Station. The police asked them to wait awhile, saying the people who had attempted to seize the vehicle might bring back the key.
“We waited for about three hours and as they didn’t turn up, we went home,” Mrs. Perera said.
A few days later, the Chief Manager of Recoveries of LB Finance, Gihan Perera, had handed over the key of their car and a further statement was made on May 12 at the police station.
The Sunday Times contacted Gihan Perera, who promised to call back but did not do so. Another officer contacted at LB finance who identified himself as “Mr. Peter” also promised to call back but no call came.
Mrs. Perera said her son was traumatised and had been in hospital for two days.
Mr. Perera said he had been working as a tour guide for the past 20 years.
“I bought this car after paying Rs 500,000 as an initial payment and have been paying Rs.72,800 each month continuously, but after the Easter attack and now the COVID-19 pandemic, with the whole tourist industry coming to a dead stop, I was unable to make payments,” he said.
Following the Central Bank’s offer of a moratorium, he had written to LB Finance asking for clemency.
“I appealed in a letter dated April 6 to the Central Bank, LB Finance headquarters and the LB Finance Negombo branch to release us from this burden but no-one seems to be listening to us,” Mr. Perera said.
“Anyway, I am grateful to people in voluntary organisations and the media for coming forward to get justice for my little son.”
Negombo Police Chief Inspector Rohana Silva said two of the men who had tried to seize the car had surrendered to police later and been released on bail by a local court. Three others are still being sought. The case has been fixed for June 15.
Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga has directed the Negombo police to pursue the matter.