Registered vehicles, via statistics.gov.lk. Bus use is obviously way higher.
When people think about traffic they think about cars, but the actual metric is people. In a country like Sri Lanka, there is only one car for every hundred people. The plurality of people are on the bus, and the most popular form of personal transport is the motorbike. Any public policy should really be designed to accommodate this real human traffic rather than simply moving cars around faster. According to statistics.gov.lk there were about 311,000 cars on the registers in 2005. That means about 1.5% of Sri Lankans use a car. About 1.2% use a Trishaw, while a surprising (to me) 6.03% use motorcycles. The vast majority, however, are either hoofing it or sweating on the bus. There are about 12,000 buses operating everyday, carrying about 4.8 million passengers. That means about 23% of Sri Lankans are taking the bus. To break it down [this number is deeply flawed], out of 100 people, 23 are on the bus, 6 are on bikes, 1 is in a Trishaw and 1 is in a car. The other 69 are at home or infirm or walking around or something. Regardless, the point is that this is not a car culture, and a different kind of public policy is required.
Current Policy
The current transportation policy is ass-backwards. I’ll take Colombo cause it’s what I know. Some recent initiatives include making main roads in Colombo one-way, banning Trishaws (beginning in 2008) and banning private buses of less than (I think) 20 seats. The latter I can’t find anything online about, but I remember reading it in the paper. All these measures benefit cars more than anyone, and they largely hurt the plurality of pedestrians and public transients.
For general perspective, here are some quotes from Robert Sullivan’s Op-Ed in the New York Times:
As a New Yorker who has spent two years researching roads and transportation across the United States, I am saddened to see our city falling behind places like downtown Albuquerque, where one-way streets have become more pedestrian-friendly two-way streets, and car lanes are replaced by bike lanes, with bike racks everywhere…
We have lost our golden pedestrian touch in New York mostly because we still think about traffic as though it were 1950, and we needed Robert Moses to plow a few giant freeways through town to get the cars moving again. But the fact is that more roads equal more traffic…
The simple and elegant cure for the loss of New York’s inner pedestrian is to open up car-clogged streets and public spaces. Another of Mr. Schaller’s surveys, sponsored by the citizens’ group Transportation Alternatives, showed that 89 percent of people questioned on Prince Street in SoHo got there by subway, bus, foot or bicycle, and that the majority would gladly give up parking for more pedestrian space.
I would also add that, as a purely subjective experience, there are two tiers of public transport. There is general transport which gets you to an area (buses, trains) and specific transport which gets you to a point (taxis, trishaws). For the former, what’s important is a predictable and logical bus/train route that covers a given area, and enables you to connect to other buses and plan an efficient route. For specific transport you need instantly available wheels, and a decent market price. Then, for the last bit, you need streets that are safe, walkable and, hopefully, pleasant. With that in mind, here’s a brief take on each issue:
One Way Streets
One-way streets are a total disaster for pedestrians and buses. They are very difficult to cross, and their layout breaks up existing bus lines. There are benefits along the North South route, but the buses serve little point-to-point purpose now. That is, you can’t necessarily hop out of a bus in front of where you need to go, and even when you do its through treacherous traffic. As an example, the trip into Kollupitiya (Galle Road) is now so convoluted that it makes the most sense to get off within a 100 meters and walk. Many spots are like that now, the bus takes such a twisted route that it forces you to get off somewhere nearby and hoof it. One may say that it is good for people to walk, but it is also good for buses to be efficient and effective. That is, the way to encourage healthier transport is not to hobble public transportation.
This weakened bus system has the added detriment of making people more likely to use cars. In the past, when parking was a bitch I’d hop a three or take a bus route. However, I’d only do this if the trishaw was cheap and the bus didn’t involve so much walking that I arrived with a soggy shirt. Now neither condition is met and I’d take the car almost anywhere, even places previously covered by trishaw/bus.
Aside from the weakened bus system, ‘downtown’ Colombo is now hellish to walk around. For one thing, you don’t know which way the traffic is coming, so you don’t know where to look. Also, crossing main streets like Duplication/Galle used to be difficult, but not impossible. Now it is shit scary and people only cross in packs. On both counts, the one-way streets do not serve the Colombo that is, and they’re a counterproductive strategy.
Banning (Two Stroke) Trishaws
Is actually OK from an environmental perspective, and it’s great for drivers. I hate trishaws… except when I need them. When you need to get somewhere specific and get there fast, trishaws are perfect. There are no taxis here in the sense that you can hail a cab on the street. Only trishaws. For all their pollutants, they are cheap and convenient. This I’m divided on cause I don’t know the alternative, but a Colombo without trishaws is a Colombo without an effective taxi service. It is a Colombo without specific public transport, or where that is being phased out. The hope is that more efficient four stroke engines will come in, and that they will be affordable enough to be adopted. My worry is what happens to people that have invested their entire savings and livelihood in a trishaw, only to have spare parts run out in 2011.
Restricting Buses
Allowing only big buses would make sense if there was a large, efficient operator… but there isn’t. Most of the buses I take down Galle Road are little ones, and I prefer them cause they’re A/C’d and more comfortable (sorta). Big buses generally mean big operators, which might makes sense were the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) not so literally and figuratively bankrupt. I personally only see state owned buses in numbers during Mahinda rallies, when they’re clogging the streets. The state of Public Transport via the CTB is really bad, as in the (older) Sunday Times
“The present situation is really bad. There is no money to pay salaries,” the Minister said. While the country has a fleet of 9,430 buses only 6,900 are in running condition, the minister said adding that the number of good buses are fast declining.
Mr. Piyasoma said neither the ministry nor the CTB had money to repair the buses that were not in operation. But to run the 6,900 buses, there are about 44,000 employees in the CTB, the minister said pointing to the problem of overstaffing.
That is to say, the government can’t handle public transit in an efficient manner, so private operators step in. As of 2005 the CTB operates about 3,800 buses per day compared to 11,800 for the private sector. Seeing as the government is doing such a bad job, I don’t know if this type of ban first ask questions later is good, but I really don’t know what can be done for the dysfunctional buses.
Better Policy
Is I don’t know. To start with, the policy should think of the majority pedestrians and bus-riders before thinking of cars. Ideally, that would mean functional, specific and rapid transit within Colombo. Unfortunately, the one way streets just pump more cars into the city, crippling the bus system. Ideally, I’d love to be able to park my car at work or at the outskirts of Colombo and take rapid and comfortable public transit within the city. The current system of Big Buses (cheap) and Small A/C Buses (more expensive) is already a step towards monetizing that comfort factor, though that is being dismantled. Then, of course, there is money. For viable public transit you need money, which means petrol/car taxes or toll roads. Of course, giving money to this government is like giving a loan to a crackhead. So I dunno the way around that. At a basic level I’d have more pedestrian friendly two way streets, direct bus routes, and … wait minute, that sounds like the way things were. The best policy for this government I think would be to just sit on its incompetent hands and not mess things up more. In other words, be a good doctor and do no harm.
There are many beneficial changes to traffic flow, and cities are making them. However, the world over, those changes mean making cities more pedestrian and bus friendly while Colombo is going the opposite direction. Traffic does not mean cars and moving them faster. It means moving people, and on that count, Sri Lanka is failing badly.
This is one of your best reasoned analytical posts yet. I think.
100% agreed with Sophist. A very good post after a long while on Indi’s blog. I won’t comment on much, because I agree with most of the facts. But, I’ll express some views about 2 stroke ban, since I have some “inside” information about this whole drama (which affect trishaws).
Actually, UNP government in 2003 tried to bring in this 2 stroke ban under enviromental reasons. But, the market leading company for selling trishaws in SL (You know who) did their best of lobbying to avoid that bill being passed by parliment.
They took trishaw owners as a “human shield” just to protect their market share. Government then agreed to take away the bill, but with a condition that they will bring back the bill in 2 another 3 years (That’s in 2006).
From the “company’s” side, they promissed the government to promote 4 stroke trishaws in the market more and more, and slowly replace majority of 2 stroke traishaws with 4 strokes within these 3 years.
During these 3 years, the power of governments changed from UNP to SLFP. And the “Company” didn’t take it serious, the promiss they made to UNP government, thinking that SLFP wouldn’t take forward the UNP policies.
But they were wrong! SLFP government, brought back (as scheduled) the UNP bill to ban 2 strokes accordin to the agreement made in 2003. And this time, the lobbying by the “Company” failed.
Then what they are now doing is, again taking the trishaw owners as a “human shield” to cover their guilts.
They have tied up with couple of radio stations, to build a social resistance about this 2 stroke ban.
One common arguement by them is “3W owners can’t buy new 4T vehicles in 2011, because they are poor”.
But, according to a market research done for this same company, it was revealed that 3W owners in SL are exchanging their vehicles every 3 years. Most of the 3 W’s are scrapped for raw metal after using for about 6 years.
Just to cross check whether these findings are true or not, think of how many 18-XXXXX 3 W you see on roads today? For that matter 200-XXXXX ones?
8 out of 10 three wheelers you see on roads are brand new, and newly registered with latest English numbers.
2 Stroke 3W’s are banned in most major Cities in Indian. Therefore, Sri Lanka is the #1 market for 2 stroke 3W’s for Bajaj. Loosing this market is a huge concern for Bajaj, and for it’s local representative.
That’s what the whole story is about.
Is there a link between number of two stroke three wheelers and the numbers of inhalers that are imported that are used for respiratory illnesses?
I actually posted a post yesterday, but it seems that it’s been gobbled up by the post monster. So I’ll try again. Should’ve saved
it, but I didn’t, so hopefully I can remember everything I’d said. Indi, I both agree and disagree with your article. You probably
already know some of my views, but since this thread’s devoted to the subject, I’ll chip in again.
ONE WAY STREETS: I agree that the uniflow system is tough on bus passengers and pedestrians (though I think “disastrousâ€
is a bit of an exaggeration). However, both can be ironed out. Bus routes need to be replanned, taking into account passenger
destination needs and the uniflow system. These new and modified bus routes and stops then need to be well publicized
to prevent confusion (including posting bus routes at busstops and inside buses, the way its done in a European subway).
Better pedestrian crossings must be provided (light controlled and/or overhead and underground crossings). Shouldn’t
we push for these improvements to the system rather than insist that the system is bad (even though it’s just a month or
two old) and suggest it be dismantled?
And btw, how long does it take to figure out which direction the traffic’s flowing? It doesn’t change with the tides. If we look
both ways before crossing (as we were taught as kids) instead of just wandering across the street wherever we feel like it with
our thumbs up our bums there’ll be no probs. As a driver, I’m bloody glad that pedestrians need to cross the street in packs
(or herds as I prefer to call ‘em). That’s how it’s supposed to be done. I’m sick of having to swerve or brake every fifty yards
each time some cunt decides to hurdle the centre barrier and get a fag from the kade opposite instead of walking a bit
further to the kade on the same side or use a pedestrian crossing. City Traffic Police stats claim that the majority of
accidents are due to pedestrian error.
BANNING 2-STROKE TRISHAWS: I agree here that while it’s good for the air it’s tough on people who’ve bought 2-strokes.
But if what ViC says is true, there isn’t really a prob. Also, I’m sure manufacturers will think up a part exchange programme
where one can swap one’s tired ol’ 2-stroke for a shiny new 4-stroke. The GoSL could even subsidise the programme.
RESTRICTING BUSES: I’m a bit puzzled here. You’ve said that they’re gonna ban buses with less than 20 seats. The only buses
I know of with less than 20 seats are those nightmarish pang-bagay vans that used to hammer around Nugegoda and Mount.
Are there any left? And if there are, they should bloody well ban those. The AC buses you like are mostly the Rosa types, no?
They have much more than 20 seats. Did you mean 20 ROWS of seats?
BETTER POLICY: I’m not sure that the current system is in order to favour car ownership. I think it’s more a case of dealing
with congestion (and possibly the security implications of congestion). Yes, the GoSL should favour public transport over
private, but to do that the former needs a drastic change in policy and revamping at every level. That’ll take time, and the
GoSL possibly sees the current measures as more easily implementable in the short term. Incremental improvements to
public transport won’t really induce car owners to switch, since cars are seen as status symbols as much as utilities. So
public transport needs to be demonstratably more efficient and user friendly than private transport (and it wasn’t so even
before the uniflow)Tolls and road taxes may work well in countries with expensive and efficient public transport systems,
but til then such measureswill just make car ownership something for the elite. Though you say that the current system
made you switch to privatetransport, I’m sure you’re an exception — most Colombo commuters will always pick private over
public transport, uniflow or not.
So saying “do no harm†isn’t very clever if the system was breaking down in the first place. Yes, it needs to be better, and
it can be made to be so with some added measures. Going back to square one won’t change anything.
Talking about one way streets. I think Kumara ratnam road the one in front of the Infant Jesus Church has been made one way. I dont know since when. Just went down that road and was like what the hell when did this happen. Ok maybe it was on the newspapers since i do not read any papers have missed the point. But i am really worried about the people travelling by bus. They will have to walk so much more. These days the weather is well HOT. but what when it starts raining? i dont agree with David Blacker about crossing in herds. We are not Elephants to cross in herds for god sake. Yeah if i see a shop across the road and i want to go i will cross the road at a pedestrian crossing. But presently duplication road does not have very many. So you have to do your usual work out by walking for quite a bit. I dunno i was quite positive and thought i shall not complain about the one way roads but frankly i take the same amount of time going from vajira to Liberty and waste so much more petrol if i need to detour somewhere and feel terrible when i see all those panicked pedestrians who are like so confused. Specially school kids.
Gowri, if you’ve ever seen a light-controlled pedestrian crossing, you’ll see that it makes sense for people to cross in groups (or herds). It’s just like an intersection. You wait your turn. You stand there for a minute or two til the light turns green, so does the traffic. Is that such a drastic measure? Far less pedestrians are killed and there are far less fender benders. I find it much better than cars having to make way for random individuals who cross regardless of whether it’s a crossing or not. In return, drivers ignore all pedestrians (crossing or not) because they’re sick of having to stop every 25 yards. Light-controlled crossings remove the choice factor. You stop whether you like it or not, whether you’re a driver or a pedestrian.
Yes i have seen a light controlled pedestrian crossing. Thank you very much. But the point is there arent many crossings yets and the next point is it does not change the fact that people who take public transport have to walk so much more if they do put the light controlled crossing. just one point Have u tried crossing duplication road recently?? Its like going on one of these theme park rides quite nerve racking to say the least. As it is I feel unsafe on these roads driving cause the other motorists take great pleasure in totally not following any rules and decide to turn wherever they please whenever they please and then smile! like these days in the one way road most motorists they think they are in some highway abroad or something and cruise along with no concern for any one else!
To use Occam’s Razor, the simplest solution is usually best. With two-way streets buses can plot a direct path. With one-way streets you require complicated changes in route, publicity, and building expensive pedestrian crossings. The simplest solution is two-way streets, and the only one I would trust this government to implement.
As per the other comments, no one is asking car owners to switch to public transport. Most people are already on it. I know that you like speeding down Duplication, but as a broader policy point, I’d like you to see the cost/benefit and simplicity issue. Cars get a slight benefit while the majority of travelers are worse off. In order to even out the situation you have to make huge policy shifts and buy expensive workaround. In this case the simple status quo was better – not for cars, but people. The issue is to move people faster, not just cars. This system doesn’t do that.
We all know what a light-controlled crossing is. Colombo has like 5 of them. I don’t think Duplication has any, at least in the meaty part. Colombo controls pedestrian traffic mostly through yellow xings, but those are very dangerous with four lanes of traffic. The first 2 lanes may stop, but the third lane doesn’t and blazes right ahead. It’s very dangerous for pedestrians who, despite your disdain for them (‘cunts’, or ‘responsible for most traffic accidents’ as you say) are the rightful owners of the street. Cities are not meant for cars, they are meant for people. Cars are only relevant inasmuch as they help people, without hurting others.
Indi & Gowri: I really wish you guys would stop being so prickly and defensive and look at the issues. You seem to be under the impression that I’m trying to defend a perfect system (especially you, Indi). I’m not. I know the system isn’t perfect, and I’m putting forward suggestions that can do just that.
Gowri, I KNOW there aren’t enough light controlled crossings. That’s my point. If there were, and people used them instead of crossing willy nilly, there’d be no probs. If someone has to walk 50m to a light controlled crossing, so be it. Are you saying the system must allow everyone to do just as they please? In a western city, you’d walk to the crossing, use it and like it. Why can’t you do so here?
Indi, the simplest solution isn’t a solution if it does bugger all. You seem to imply that the old system was OK. It wasn’t. We sat in traffic jams for long periods of time (cars AND buses). I don’t know whether you used the buses and trains during rush hour (I did, and its horrible) For the old system to work, Colombo’s entire public transport system has to be redone top to bottom. That’ll be just as expensive and time consuming as new crossings and bus halts. No one’s saying “OK, now that we’ve got uniflow lets sit back and have a drink”. The transport system still has to be revamped, and we should push for that. Uniflow is step one. Why go back to square one? Square one didn’t work unless the only time used a bus was to drop in at Barefoot or something. And it’s not me saying that pedestrians are to blame for the majority of accidents, its the cops who say so. If you don’t like it, tough shit, but it’s a fact. What are you talking about yellow crossings on one way roads for? We already know that doesn’t work, and that’s why I suggested light-controlled ones at strategic locations.
And it’s nothing to do with me liking to speed down Duplication. but what I do like is being able to sleep in for an extra half hour and still get to work on time. What I also like is being able to get to meetings and shoots on time without wasting hours in traffic. I wasn’t born behind the wheel of aa car; for most of my life I travelled by bus and it never was a nice way to travel (contrary to your experiences).
Indi, I know the uniflow system is your pet hate at the moment, and that’s fine, you’re entitled to your opinion. But please try not to jump on us who disagree with you and try to accuse us of being uncaring speed freaks or something. As I’ve said before, the uniflow requires some planning of your routes. Is that so hard?
I’m all for Colombo being pedestrian and passenger friendly. But it never was. And that’s why people use cars. Thousands and thousands of new cars, vans & SUVs are being registered each month, resulting in virtual gridlock. Uniflow has broken that gridlock. Now revamp the transport system. Once that’s done, maybe you won’t need uniflow, I don’t know. But doing nothing isn’t the answer.
“In a western city, you’d walk to the crossing, use it and like it. Why can’t you do so here?” Because we are in Sri lanka :) !!! and if i want to cross over to caravan from dialog in duplication road i want to do it without getting run over. I was almost killed by trying to cross ( two mad trishaws and bus driver cause bus stop near the vicinity) but was saved by only one fact that the good die young.
Talk about crossing SL roads! Jesus Christ! You put your life in the hands of the creator, hold your breath & cross.
I was in SL recently & always used the ‘herd’ method to cross the road. Just did not have the nerve or the expertise anymore to cross SL roads.
I would wait at the pedestrian crossing until another person/or few more people came & then crossed with them.
I figured out earlier on, people living there have mastered the art of crossing. Believe me it’s an art form.
There is no right of way for the pedestrian at the zebra crossing.
One time, when I was beginning to cross (with others of course) cars that could squeeze through, zoomed past us & among them was a ………drum roll……….. A police car!!!!!(rather a jeep)
Ohhhh so this is Sri Lanka and we’re Sri Lankans so we’re gonna cross the roads like donkeys, eh??? Brilliant, Gowri! So this is Sri Lanka, let’s have corrupt politicians, inept government, crime and racism, AND let’s foster ignorance of law — let’s never change Sri Lanka because we bloody love the mess we’re in. Wow. Can you tell yet how convinced I am by your dazzling logic?
“Can you tell yet how convinced I am by your dazzling logic?” 100% what do u say? : ) ok cool down.
Its just that i am not giving into your argument. and u are sticking to yours. We dont have to agree with each other. i totally agree with indi and ITA. God is the only saviour to cross the roads. I think i will start doing a special prayer next time (not soon i hope) have to cross the road.
So David have u seen the elephants cross in herds down Habarana road? :)
You have to be taking the piss Gowri, no one could be that obtuse….
If not yours is the single most dumbest post I have read on Indi’s blog in ages (and that’s saying something). Just crossing the road wherever you want endangers not only your life but countless others as well… that is either sheer stupidity or just plain recklessness… Do you not realize that a motorist braking suddenly or swerving to avoid you puts their lives, their passengers lives, other pedestrians lives and countless other lives in danger, simply because you fancied yourself a cream bun.
Thanks Tariq, I never knew that i was the obtuse pisshead who is keen on dying with a cream bun in my hand And a total menace for all the motorists. Yeah yeah its cause of my appetite that there are so many accidents down duplication road every single day more than before.
Yes it is, actually. It’s because of you and the hundreds of other morons just like you who don’t have a clue or a care about road rules. You want a bun, someone else wants a smoke, a couple of others want something else. You are the shining example of why choice needs to be taken out of the hands of pedestrians so that they can be actually treated like sheep. “Do Not Cross. Walk Over There. Wait For The Light. Now Cross.” You don’t care about the rest of humanity as long as you have your bloody cream bun.
David, any point you have is overshadowed by your sheer vitriol towards pedestrians. Everyone disregards traffic rules (as much as they exist), drivers and pedestrians both. The issue here is that you totally denigrate pedestrians, calling them ‘morons’ in this case. That is, in a way, the point of this post. This current plan does not consider or respect pedestrians. It doesn’t go as far as calling them cunts and effectively saying ‘stupid pedestrian, got in front of my car’, but it doesn’t treat them with due respect. These are people, and they (we) should be free to walk around our cities.
I’d take you more seriously if you’d laid off the ‘cunt’ and ‘moron’. As is it just reads like an emotional tirade, obscuring whatever reason may lie underneath.
Why are you censoring my posts Indi? Why are you not publishing them? Do you not believe in “democracy” or is your eager defence of it yet another sharade? Or are you having another one of your “this is my blog, and I’ll do whatever I want!!” fits because someone challenged you?
Bart here.
It may be vitriol Indi but the man has a sound point… sure the city belongs to the people but I’d hesitate to say that the roads do too… The point is that darting across the road is dangerous not just to the pedestrian but to everyone else as well, the “to hell with the laws I want my cream bun” attitude is what causes the majority of accidents.
David may have a not so subtle approach in putting his point across but it doesn’t make him less right. The jackass who crosses in front of me is a menace and a fool
Hey, don’t worry, Indi. When I say, ‘cunt’, I mean it in a nice way. And I didn’t say that drivers are law abiding. I just quoted the stats that show pedestrians cause most accidents. The driver probs didn’t really come up. Don’t even start me on that. Particularly trishaws and buggers in Sunnies. What I’m suggesting (walkways, better bus routes, light-controlled crossings, etc) are all to help & protect pedestrians and uisers of public transport. It also makes life easier for us drivers, but that’s a byproduct.
Oh, and Homer, “sharade” is spelt with a ‘c’, like cunt. I’m sure you’ve heard the latter a lot.
You should all be aware of what’s going on in the Philippines in regards to air pollution from three-wheel taxis. It is a major factor in the thick cloud that hangs over major cities there. But a non-profit group formed by students and faculty of Colorado State University in the US, EnviroFit Corporation, has begun a program to convert the two-stroke taxis to a direct injection technology developed by Orbital Corporation of Australia. It makes the two-strokes more fuel efficient than four-strokes, with less pollution. Converting existing engines only costs $300 US, and gas and oil use is reduced so much that the taxi owners can pay for the conversion in a year or less. It eliminates the problem of the old two-stroke engines being put to another use, continuing the pollution. That would happen if they were replaced by four-strokes. And, the four-strokes would cost about $1500 US. You can find out more at envirofit.org
You’re right Blacker. But do you stop at every pedestrian crossing? I hope you do because if not your argument is hypocritical. Pedestrians are a menace. So are traffic policemen. The reason…very few of them drive, or have ever driven. They have no clue as to how the driver is thinking. Most of us on this blog haven’t walked anywhere substantial for a while and have got so used to our cars we don’t empathise with pedestrians. Zebras are very few and far apart, and unlike the Utopian European Cities which have been flouted about in this thread, the climate doesn’t really endear itself to walk 50m to and 50m from the closest zebra crossing, when you’re not likely to get treated any differently when you’re on that. Collective education and not finger pointing is what is required. If you’re pointing fingers point it at the half wits that don’t think about the consequences before making wholesale changes.
Sophist, I honestly try to stop everytime someone’s on a pedestrian crossing. But there are times when I haven’t for various reasons. Like I see the pedestrian too late to brake and so I just drive on. Or I’m annoyed ‘cos I’ve had to get past buggers who’ve been crossing everywhere, and when I finally speed up, I get to a crossing. Or I’m sitting there while people cross in an endless stream and so I push through cos I’m late. All of these above reasons can be sorted with light-controlled crossings that are enforced.
I didn’t have a car recently for two weeks, so I did experience pedestrian life, and I myself have frequently crossed roads as and when I pleased.
Just as you object to people bringing in new systtems without (allegedly) understanding the problems, I also object to people criticizing those systems for the simple reason that they’re too lazy to adapt to it, or too witless to see its benefits, or too shortsighted to suggest some improvements. I remember when the Maradana intersection was the worst traffic jam in Colombo, until somewhere in the ’90s a new system was planned. There was endless moaning about how “difficult” it was to turn towards Darley Rd when you had to go to Armour St, etc. Therre were a few teething probs, after which everyone got used to it. Sri Lankans are traditionally averse to change or to things that seem “un-SL (road rules, queues, disposal of garbage, hard work, etc), but we should not let that hold back development.
so what you are saying is when u are the motorist u will just drive on. And if u are the pedestrian u will cross as you please. Thats an exceptional rule for u. But the rest of us are lazy. Oh also u will resort to calling us a Moron.
I can’t agree with Sophist that this was an entirely well-reasoned post.
Some comments:
1. “…out of 100 people, 23 are on the bus, 6 are on bikes, 1 is in a Trishaw and 1 is in a car. The other 69 are at home or infirm or walking around or something.”
You’re not comparing apples with apples. You’ve compared 4.8million bus PASSENGERS with the number of private VEHICLES. Actually, a three wheeler can take 4 passengers, cars can take 5 and motorbikes often take 3 in this country. That, combined with the fact that these private vehicles are used by the whole family, and the fact that most three wheelers double as taxis, brings the percentage of private transport PASSENGERS per day to a much higher figure than in your analysis. You can’t count each private vehicle as one passenger, just as you can’t count each bus as one passenger.
But yes, the majority of Sri Lankans do not have access to a private vehicle. Whether the same is true for Colombo’s urban population is highly debatable though. Many Colombo households have a three wheeler or a motorbike, if not a car. Your conclusions are about colombo’s traffic policy, but your premise is based on inconsistent data that’s about Sri Lanka as a whole.
2. I like the uniflow thing. I think it might be a step in the right direction. I still curse it when I forget that it’s different now and I make a wrong turn and have to go kilometres out of my way as a result, but that’s just me getting used to it. Similarly, other people are still getting used to it as well, and that includes the pedestrians, three wheeler drivers, motor cyclists, and bus drivers. Eventually, people are going to stop going on an extra circle and miles out of their way. And that’s going to reduce journeys, traffic and congestion even further.
Once the bus authorities become sure that the uniflow is here to stay (if it is), they’ll revise the routes, and draw up new routes. Once pedestrians get used to that, it’ll improve further. I think two circular bus routes, just going round and round the two uniflow circles may offer a good solution for short hops. Many of the problems you brought up against the uniflow system are likely to be temporary teething problems that will eventually get ironed out.
3. I don’t necessarily agree that the policy is pro-car. I think it’s quite the opposite. It’s going to increase pedestrian traffic. The banning of parking on main roads in Colombo definitely makes it more difficult to find parking, increasing the demand for the walking option, three wheelers and public transport. Eventually, more parking spaces will appear, like the massive one on Macallum Road in front of Lake House, but parking rates will rise. I already walk a lot more than I used to. You just have to now. This also decreases congestion, not just on the sides of the road, but by preventing people slowing down to find parking, actually doing the parking, and pulling out on to the main road when they want to leave. In modern big cities everybody walks a lot more than they are used to doing here. Colombo is heading that way, I think.
Point number 1 is definitely true. I originally said that the number was ‘gross over-simplification’ but i changed that to ‘deeply flawed’ above.
“so what you are saying is when u are the motorist u will just drive on. And if u are the pedestrian u will cross as you please.”
Er… no, I didn’t say that. Have you had your daily cream bun fix yet? :) What I DID say was that Sri Lankan road users (drivers and pedestrians) move from point A to point B as if they were waandering across a paddy field. “Oh, there’s a gap, let’s go there! Oops, too late, cut off by a bullock, let’s cut back over there.” Or from the pedestrian view “Hey, look! A cream bun! Run!” etc. So they need to be forced to conform in order to prevent random suicide. My original point was that if such road rules are enforced (along with other improvements), the uniflow system can work for bus passengers and pedestrians and not just for drivers, as it does now.
haha! very funny!
The thing is Blacker….most of the lazy pedestrians and motorists flout the law exactly for the same reasons you do. And there’s a lot of us out there. This is why I said I hoped the suggestions you were making were not hypocritical. I also hope that you were not calling me lazy and witless, and it was a comment in rem.
The reason I think the system is flawed is that the problems are not teething but inherent. If Colombo drivers wre law abiding we wouldn’t need the uniflow in the first place. Traffic is not caused purely due to the amount of cars. I think that can be handled. It’s caused because of poor planning and cuntishness of drivers, and traffic cops. While trishaws used to cut you off from the next lane they can now turn right from the left lane which is four lanes away. It’ll never improve. And if it does….we don’t need uniflow.
Other cities have their commercial and residential areas somewhat detached. You drive in a residential area there are cars parked on both sides of the road. In a commercial area, buildings have parking. It’s poor planning – and try as I might I can’t ‘get used’ to incompetence.
No, Sophist I wasn’t calling YOU lazy or witless.
SOME of the problems with the uniflow may be inherent, but not all. Let’s deal with the probs that aren’t inherent. That’ll improve the situ vastly. The point is that the old system wasn’t working. And congestion wasn’t caused just by bad driving, but by too many cars and no channelling of pedestrians. Something had to be done, and the uniflow has eased congestion, no doubt about that. Even on roads that are still 2-way (like High Level) the cops use a third lane in the direction of the rush hour traffic, and it helps. If we can sort out the inherent probs sufficiently to return to 2-way traffic, well and good, but I don’t see that happening. So we need solutions for what we can change.
Indi
I’m a car user and I love the uniflow system. But I agree it’s hell on pedestrians and bus users. But new bus routes will be created (hopefully). As someone said, buses just looping the uniflow would be useful for short hops. And better bus maps etc would be good.
As for pedestrians, admittedly I hardly stop for them, but that’s as much for their protection. Once I stopped at a crossing and let some kids and ladies cross, and a bus shot past me and nearly killed them. Since them I’m scared to give way and wave people across the road.
As David said, I think that despite all its faults, things are better than they were. I remember being stuck in traffic for up to half an hour at peak time on the uniflow roads, when they were two-way. Now at least things keep moving. Traffic blocks affect bus users too, don’t forget that. When everyone is stuck, everyone is screwed.
All in all it’s not a perfect system. This is Sri Lanka, nothing is perfect. But as you said;
“Ideally, I’d love to be able to park my car at work or at the outskirts of Colombo and take rapid and comfortable public transit within the city.”
That’s my dream too. I would gladly give up my car if Colombo’s public transport was rapid and comfortable. In fact one thing I really miss about London is travelling by train and bus everywhere. Over there it was easy, quick, and comfortable. Damn expensive, but that’s a different matter entirely…
Like it or not, uniflow is something we have to live with. When (not if) new check points spring up its going to further affect how we get around. Ranting about it won’t help the adjustment but some communal observation of how the system evolves might. I’m assuming we got quite a few eyes here so the picture will be very interesting.
Getting a good big picture is the first step. I’ve been looking around for a decent map of the uniflow set up in Colombo. The only one I could find is indi’s pic . The accessibility
nightmare of theCMC site isn’t too much help :(
So, is there a detailed map of the uniflow streets in Colombo or am I using the wrong search strings in Google? Or is the whole thing still confined to a few streets? I’m wondering if I should carry a map and a pen in the chariot to mark the uniflow direction as I go which would be risky.