Transforming the transport sector - EDITORIAL

The main mode of transport for us - the ordinary citizens of this country - is still either by road or rail. Very important citizens, such as presidents, prime ministers and cabinet ministers have been more fortunate having helicopters, aircraft and in some instances naval ships at their disposal. Our immediate past president used a naval vessel to flee to his official residence.

Whether it be transport of goods from areas outside of the metropolitan area, or public transport into and within the city, - we the masses - have always depended on road and rail transport. Sadly, despite over 70 years of independence, different governments have been unable to successfully tackle this growing problem.

For instance, Macrotrends data reveals Colombo’s present population is comprised of around 633,000 people. In 2021, the population stood at 619,000. In addition to its 633,000 residents, media reveals on an average around 1.9 million people enter the city daily. With a majority of government offices, the harbour and private business enterprises based within the city, this is not surprising. 

According to the Urban Transport System Project for Colombo Metropolitan Region and Suburbs - CoMtrans Urban Transport Master Plan of August 2014 - by 2035 the Greater Colombo population is estimated to reach 5.1 million. Police statistics reveal that a total of over 500,000 motor vehicles enter Colombo on a daily basis. Of these 500,000 vehicles, approximately 450,000 are privately-owned ones. Since the nationalization of the transport sector, public passenger transport was handled exclusively by the government. In the aftermath of the opening up of the economy, the private sector too, once again re-entered the field of private passenger transport.

Despite the larger number of both the passenger and commercial transport vehicles on the roads today, neither the transport of goods nor of passengers have improved a great deal. The packed buses and trains to get to work/school etc., the long queues of passengers waiting to leave the city and get back to their homes, bear testimony to the inadequacies in our public transport system. 

Similarly, small and medium producers in the agricultural sector too are unable to gain easy access to the main collection centres in the cities in an efficient and cost-effective manner. One of the main reasons behind the breakdown in transport is the unregulated nature of its operations and the manner in which it is run. The railroad transportation system - the cheapest and faster mode of transport - has hardly been extended since the colonial rulers left our shores in 1948. 

The railway department is running at a Rs.10 billion loss per year. One of the main reasons being the structure of a government department. They (government departments) are geared towards service and do not follow a commercial profit orientation.  According to Minister Gunawardene, the rail network in the country covers around 1,500 km. In some areas the lines are over 50 years old. 

Yet, railway lines need to be replaced every ten years. In today’s context with tightening on government expenditure; necessary repairs cannot be attended to in a timely manner. It is leading to a danger to passengers, as well as lengthening in transportation time. With government’s inability to meet costs for upgrading the service, the reforming of such state-owned enterprises becomes imperative.

In like manner, the motorised transport system too is in need of improvement. The issuing of route licences to private bus operators for instance, has been given mainly to private individuals owning one or two buses, rather than to private companies.  In a number of instances these individuals happen to be ex-police and/or military men. Ordinary policemen tend to turn a blind eye to drivers of these vehicles flouting of road rules. In turn it leads to rising chaos on our roads and a rise in the number of vehicular accidents.

Thus the running of an efficient service with systematized time tables and operating in a time-bound manner cannot be implemented. Again, it has led to a shortage of vehicles at night and over weekends.  The role played by trade unions dominating the transport sector as well as government’s failure to appoint professional leadership with capable managers, have also played a significant role in the disintegration of the transport sector. In this context, the government’s proposal to convert the railway department into a corporation as part of a process of reforming the loss-making state-owned enterprise into a commercial enterprise is to be welcomed. 

At this juncture it would be good, if the government changed its policy of granting route licences to owners of individual vehicles, and hand these sectors over to private companies owning fleets of buses, thus streamlining the sector and ensuring a continuous service.