Colombo Traffic
Colombo traffic. Nawam Perahera is coming up.
This week the Sri Lankan Police have been stopping cars to conduct a survey on traffic. Colombo actually has far less traffic than many global cities, but it’s still not good. So what to do? The survey created more traffic and was only in Sinhala, but it’s a start. There are a few obvious answers already on the table.
Congestion Pricing
Right now drivers pay for their car, insurance and petrol. They don’t pay for their (or other peoples) time. They just waste it. The obvious thing is for drivers to pay to get less congestion.
But the roads should be free you say. Well, most people use the roads to get to work, where they are paid for their time. An extra half hour on the road is time they’re not at work, which has a value. In addition, money gained from these tolls can be put back into improving the roads and public transport. I honestly don’t see a problem with this system at all.
You can exclude buses and taxis, encouraging that sort of transport within the city, and just charge personal vehicles coming in and out. Time is money, and I don’t see this as a net loss for anybody.
Public Transit
Another obvious looking thing is to use existing rail and bus routes to drastically improve public transport, encouraging the middle class to use it. Colombo cannot yet support real mass transit, but I don’t see why incremental improvements can’t happen. I saw dozens of shiny new buses parked on the Galle Face Green a year ago but I have yet to see such numbers on the streets.
And those are a few ideas.
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Bus companies and market-set prices would be a start and can be done tomorrow.
Combine the two ideas. use all the money raised from congestion pricing to fund public transport improvements.
So let me get his straight. You want us to pay to use roads, that have been built using our own tax money? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Nonsense. It’s one thing for a company to build their own private road, and charge people if they want to use them. Public property is a different issue. They are supposed to be public.
Besides, I’m surprised at your confidence in our government. Whatever money that’s collected is more likely to end up in someone’s pocket than in public transport.
RT @indica: Colombo Traffic: what to do http://t.co/tuK9yfpH
RT @indica: Colombo Traffic: what to do http://t.co/tuK9yfpH
Congestion charges would be good, framework needs to be in place to implement RT @indica Colombo Traffic: what to do http://t.co/BCcs93Il
I also agree with Indi. Its reasonable to charge a private vehicle like a car because roughly around 2 private cars which carries two or max 5 or 6 people to work is actually using a space of the road that if replaced with a public transport bus can carry 50-70 people to work. So the privileged who travel by cars are taking up the space of 10 people who travel by bus.
But for this to work you need to have more buses and more trains. Already the Colombo commuter buses and trains are jammed packed worse than a sardine tin.
Without a very good, efficient public transport system these surveys are completely useless.
Hey, How you say Colombo’s traffic congestion is far less than other cities? Can you give any evidance to support this statement. You should compare Colombo with similar population cities in the world. Then you’ll understand we are not in an easy position. Despite the unaffordable cost of living in the country, it’s totally unfair to ask ppl to pay for driving their own vehicles.