Death on wheels

The tragedy at Wattala on Saturday night where a young couple and their one-year-old infant was killed on the spot in a motor accident no doubt would have stirred even the hardest of hearts.

According to reports the couple was returning from a party when the mishap occurred. A fourth occupant in the vehicle too was killed while another was critically injured. Initial investigations revealed that the person who was at the wheel was under the influence of liquor and had been driving on the wrong side at a terrifying speed.

If this is the case he had not only killed himself by his irresponsible act but also brought death to his young family. This incident again raises the whole question of drunken driving which has resulted is several lives being lost most often plucking away the breadwinners of a family.

We have been told that breathalyser tests are being conducted to apprehend drunken drivers. But to what extent is this being done ? Usually the driver concerned gets off with a warning or at worst fined for his offence.

This is hardly the type of deterrent against drunk drivers as can be seen from many such mishaps reported in recent times where the offenders were invariably found to be under the influence of liquor.

What is called for is more stringent punishment for offenders such as the cancellation of driving licenses, confiscation of their vehicles or even a stiff prison sentence.

Today our public highways have became veritable death traps with roads turned into speeding tracks by motorists, especially those brash rich youth who take delight in showing off their latest models and also those at the wheel of private buses.

Today commuters and pedestrians are increasingly exposed to peril by these speed fiends and it is no exaggeration to say that one could consider oneself lucky to get home in one piece given the danger stalking the highways.

This incident should awaken the authorities to take a more serious view of fatal accidents on our roads caused by reckless driving. The offenders should be severely punished and made an example of if our roads are to be made safe for the public.

A compensation scheme too should be evolved making it compulsory for an offender to provide for the families of accident victims. Failure to comply should be met with a stiff prison sentences. Nothing less would drive these killers on wheels to see sense.

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City revival

It will be the fervent wish of rate payers in the city of Colombo that the Colombo Municipal Council which is applying itself with diligence and zeal in carrying out the city beautification measures in preparation for the SAARC would continue in the same vein in attending to the woes of the city dwellers.

Today CMC work gangs are spotted everywhere in the City galvanised into action to keep the city in trim for the upcoming event. If only the CMC had shown a fraction of this enthusiasm and enterprise in its day to day functions it would not have been the object of much public criticism.

One hopes this enthusiasm would last well after SAARC is over and done with and the city dwellers provided with a satisfactory service. It is hoped that this would prove a catalyst in the revival and transformation of the City from its present squalid state to something resembling the name it once enjoyed as the Garden city of Asia.

There is much that needs be done for the Colombo city that goes beyond giving it a mere facelift to coincide with an important event.

There is an urgent need for a complete overhaul of the centuries old drainage system and the ridding the city of squatters and encroachers who mar this once beautiful landscape.

What is needed is a planned strategy to develop the city with expert input to cater to the changing patterns and trends. It is also hoped that the garbage disposal will be carried out with the same zeal and enthusiasm as that being witnessed now and a permanent solution found to flooding which is a perennial problem affecting the city.

Let this event provide a shot in the arm to the CMC to awaken from its slumber and deliver the goods to the City residents on a permanent footing.