SEW toll tops Rs. 540m

Irangika RANGE

The government has earned over Rs 540 million, by way of toll charges, since the Southern Expressway opened on November 27, 2011, Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kothalawala told the Daily News.

More than 1.8 million vehicles had used the highway since then, at an average of 7,000 vehicles per day, the Deputy Minister said.

He said that the Expressway had enabled people to travel the 95 kilometer stretch of road between Kottawa and Galle within 55 minutes and enabled motorists to save on two third of the fuel they would usually use if they used Galle Road to travel from Colombo to Galle. Meanwhile, 310 accidents have been reported so far after its opening and damages caused by the accidents to the Southern Expressway stood at around Rs. 6.8 million.

The Deputy Minister further said that most road accidents had been caused by careless and irresponsible driving.

Road accidents place a heavy burden on the national economy as well as on the household economy.

The Deputy Minister further said even though the damages of the accidents can be covered by insurance, drivers should drive carefully and safely because accidents consume a large amount of national wealth.