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By Bryan Nicholas
[Colombo 3]

I am writing to place on record the utter disgust of most of the population about the antics of the Security Staff of Ministers, when it comes to blocking off and closing roads at the drop of a hat.

Take for instance, late afternoon on Friday November 24, when the better part of the main commercial area of the City of Colombo was closed off for hours due to some VIP movement. Thousands of people took up to two hours to complete what was normally a 10-15 minute journey home! Of course, since this incident took place over one month ago, not even those responsible for security would ever remember; but I think this a pretty ridiculous situation; don’t you?

Then, there was Budget Day; at 12.30 in the afternoon people were prevented from going to their own homes down Horton Place due to a VIP travelling on the same route. One person whom I know insisted on his rights, with the cop at the Felix Pereira Petrol Shed junction and said that the cop could do whatever he wanted, but, as far as he was concerted, he was definitely going home. How many people would have the guts to do this? How would they feel if their precious families are barred from going to their house, I wonder?

Another thing that gets my goat is the closure of one lane of traffic opposite Temple Trees, not to mention the complete closure of R A De Mel Mawatha between the Army HQ and Temple Trees, which is a complete joke in the first place. How many times a day do they use that road anyway?

Then, Galle Face Centre Road is closed without any notice whenever security people deem it necessary. What this means is that traffic is banked up in Fort, the Pettah, Sir Chittampalam Gardiner Mawatha, D R Wijewardena Mawatha, Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Union Place, T B Jayah Mawatha, Deans Road, Sir James Peries Mawatha and Sir Ernest De Silva Mawatha, Dr C W W Kannangara Mawatha, Ward Place, Horton Place, Torrington Avenue, Reid Avenue, Bullers Road (not to mention the roads leading to and off these!). The less said about the consequences to traffic on Galle Road and R A De Mel Mawatha (at the Kollupitiya end) the better!

Of course, some bright spark in the Security establishment decided not to have any vehicles parked on main roads throughout the day and night. This was due to the attack on the Pakistani Ambassador. Sure, perhaps this has got rid of the traffic problem on a lot of the main roads during the daytime (never mind the resultant chaos finding parking on the myriad lanes off Galle Road and R.A. De Mel Mawatha, and all the roads mentioned above!), but what about after say, 7pm? How many VIP’s (highly questionable ones at that!) travel on these routes then — is it indeed necessary to limit parking in the nights as well? At least, the commercial establishments on these roads could open and close later to enable them to make some money at least!

And now, another bright spark has come up with a new traffic plan to make the Galle Road one-way (for traffic plying from Wellawatte to Kollupitiya junction) and Duplication Road one-way (for traffic plying from Kollupitiya Junction up to Wellawatte). Not stopping at that, staring from the Reid Avenue round about near the Colombo Campus, Thurstan Road, Cambridge Place, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha and Green Path, have also been made one way streets!

This is nothing but the height of absurdity, creating utter chaos and pandemonium apart from the inconvenience caused to all and sundry.

Just take a moment to consider the consequences on the country’s fuel bill as a result of being stuck in traffic – a Nissan Sunny 1300cc-engined car recently did 7 kilometres on a litre of petrol, when it should be doing 10 to 12 kilometers/litre in city running. This is just one vehicle. How many vehicles in this country is this being replicated with? So who’s ultimately wasting all this foreign exchange buying fuel? As a result of shops losing revenue, who is missing out on the VAT?

But do they care? Obviously no, since they don’t need to worry about these trivialities due to their bunch of goons clearing the way and not having to pay their own fuel bills! Another matter I’d like to point out is how these imbeciles expect us to move to make way for VIPs (the largest cabinet in the world?) when the traffic is totally at a standstill!

Take for instance this afternoon (Tuesday January 2, 2007) around 1.00 pm I was traveling along Justice Akbar Mawatha, heading for the Taj Samudra where I had some business. As I passed the Slave Island level crossing, traffic came to a standstill for well over 15 minutes. Why? Because, some so called ‘high and mighty’ was travelling.

If these things were to happen in any other country, the masses would have taken to the streets — your convoys and your goons stoned.

I vividly remember, in India not so long ago, the price of petrol was increased by a couple of cents. What did the masses of that country do? Sit at home and mope? No; they took to the streets with vengeance.

Unfortunately, it is a great pity that most people in this country seem to think that “grinning and bearing it” is the way to go.

Not this puppy, I’m afraid!
The day that Sri Lankans learn to stand up for their rights rather than cowing down to unreasonable authority is the day that this country starts moving forward. I hope I’ve given some people the impetus to voice their thoughts rather than sit there in silence and hope for the best, because the best is not going to come unless we make it happen!

Its high time saner counsel prevails.

[A Letter to the Editor - DailyMirror.lk]