Novel Solution- Taken From Another Site In Sl

[Velocity]

Novel Solution

10 May 2007 11:04:53

Sri Lankan official suggests unorthodox way to solve traffic problem

May 10, 2007 (LBO) – A senior Sri Lankan government official has suggested doubling fuel prices and scrapping free cars and fuel for government servants to solve the island's transport problem.

Road Development Authority (RDA) chairman M.B.S. Fernando also made the startling suggestion that he prefers keeping roads in their present dilapidated state.

Slow Roads

Improving the roads would only encourage speeding, creating more "death traps" which kill more people each year than the ethnic war.

"The problem is that the road space is uneconomically used," Fernando said. "We don't transport people – we move vehicles."

The average occupancy of cars was only 1.3 people.

"So all this road space is being used for the benefit of only a few individuals," Fernando told a news conference held to announce a construction industry exhibition partly sponsored by the RDA.

Trains and buses can transport more people, more economically, but those who could afford it went by car and shunned public transport as it was over-crowded and badly run.

Fernando said he advocates raising the price of petrol by 100 rupees, from the present 104 rupees a litre, to discourage use of individual cars.

The money raised could be invested in improving public transport.

But he said the price of diesel should not be raised as it would increases costs of public transport and goods transport.

"I suggest the easiest way is to impose a toll, not on vehicles but on petrol," Fernando said.

"If you increase the price of petrol by 100 rupees a litre – overnight you solve the traffic problem."

Diesel Travesty

However critics say Sri Lanka's diesel pricing is very harmful to the road sector and petrol prices are already too high and increasing the gap would worsen what economists call the 'free rider' problem on Sri Lanka's roads.

About a third of petrol prices are made up of taxes, while diesel is hardly taxed. Petrol is used in lighter vehicles such as motorcycles, three wheelers and small cars which do less damage to roads.

Diesel is used by heavy vehicles (including container carriers), which cause severe damage to roads and may account for a substantial portion of the maintenance budget of the RDA.

At the moment diesel vehicles get a 'free ride' on roads with petrol users paying more than 30 percent of the retail prices in the form of taxes.

In countries like USA which have good roads, most of the maintenance money comes from petrol and diesel taxes.

Diesel for off road users such as farm vehicles is not taxed and is sold under a different colour.

People using 'farm diesel' for road transport are prosecuted under tax evasion laws.

In the 1980's and 1990's there was a proliferation of heavy vans, even heavier heavy pick-up trucks and luxury jeeps for personal transport because diesel was priced at 13 rupees a liter and petrol at 50 rupees.

People started to buy cars again after 2002 when the gap between petrol and diesel was closed somewhat.

At the moment the richer echelons of society including politicians and businessmen use tax free diesel to travel around while poor people who cannot afford diesel cars and motorcycle users who hardly damage roads, pay stiffer taxes.

Probably the biggest policy error committed by the Sri Lankan government in recent years was the 50 billion or so spent on fuel subsidies over the past three years, instead of using such moneys to develop the road network.

Too Few

Fernando says it is difficult to find investors to build modern expressways because of the long time taken to recoup the investment as the vehicle population that could be taxed through tolls – mainly cars – was relatively small.

There are only 250,000 cars in Sri Lanka of which 125,000 alone are in the western province.

Fernando also suggested the government stop giving free cars, fuel and drivers to public servants as a way of reducing the number of vehicles on the island's congested roads.

He estimates the government spends 75,000 rupees a month to maintain and fuel a car given free to officials in the bloated bureaucracy.

"Give them a vehicle allowance instead," he said, adding that this would prompt people not to use cars to go to office but public transport instead.

"The traffic problem is caused largely by people travelling to work by car."

Fernando also said officials who sit on the government transport committee were invariably those with free cars, petrol and drivers with little concern for the plight of ordinary people.

He estimates that 32 percent of the total car fleet is used by government departments, corporations and bodies like the provincial councils.

"So if you take that out of the traffic stream, the traffic problem will be solved by 50 percent."

Fernando said only two percent of the island's 100,000 km of roads are in "reasonably good condition" with the rest "in very bad shape."

Sri Lankan roads are regarded as some of the most dangerous in the world with lax law enforcement, too many vehicles and reckless drivers routinely ignoring basic safety rules.

Death Traps

Fernando called the roads "death traps", especially the few well-paved ones that enable speeding.

"We have not looked at the safety aspect when building roads, such as having separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians.

"Carpeted roads are a pleasure to drive on but they enable motorists to go at high speed, which increases the risk of accidents."

Fernando said he prefers to keep roads in their existing state of disrepair purely to reduce the incidence of accidents caused by speeding.

Accidents were killing about 2,500 people a year "more than the number of people killed in the ethnic conflict," he said.

"The people who die are in the 15-30 year age group – young people in the prime of their lives killed on the road as they begin to contribute to the country."

Accidents also injured some 30,000 people each year, with 8,000 of them maimed for life, losing a limb – again much more than the number maimed by the war

[Elvis_Pil]

This is the sort of attitude that says: 'To prevent sin, cut the hand sins' I really dont know why people cant think of solutions to problems rather than just damning everything. What is Sri Lanka the only country that has traffic problems?

[dhp]

another proud moment to be a Sri Lankan. We cant find working solutions, so we're going to do nothing. Whats the purpose of the RDA then?

I have a better solution, why don't we increase the cost of all medicines and hospital fees. the more expensive health care is, fewer ppl can afford it and lesser the population, there will be more resources available for everyone else.

someone PLEASE find out more about this retard so we can give him the exposure he deserves.

[fuzzo]

actually sl is not the only country with traffic problems. india has it much much worse than us... i'm actually quite thankful of our traffic situation after my visit there

[Pericles]

I feel like I'm reading an article on fark. Is this actually LBO or is it some satirical thing?

[Saturn]

Fernando said he prefers to keep roads in their existing state of disrepair purely to reduce the incidence of accidents caused by speeding.

>>that's a very convenient attitude for the Road Development Authority to adopt, eh?

Like every other bright idea in Sri Lanka, an increase in the cost of fuel will only hurt the poor (And I doubt the money raised will ever benefit people or be used to fix roads).

In fact, why double? How about a 4x increase? Just for the fun of it. :). or how about we make it 1000 a litre?

At 1k a litre, even I'd be a bit annoyed, but I doubt I'd change my driving habits much. Not that I'm rich or anything, its just that it simply really doesnt affect me. An increase WOULD affect ordinary people who have to go by tuktuk/motorcycle/cheap cars... In other words, the so called middle class.

@pericles: Didn't know you read fark.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Saturn

[Pericles]

@pericles: Didn't know you read fark.

I used to.

[Saturn]

someone PLEASE find out more about this retard so we can give him the exposure he deserves.

Yeah, then he'd get what all retards here get:A promotion

[ucscsades]

that's just ridiculous! people use private vehicles because the public transportation system is beyond crap in sri lanka! buses and trains are overcrowded, old, dirty, don't run on any real schedule (or route for that matter sometimes!), and are quite dangerous too! he claims that the money they make out of higher petrol prices will be used to improve the public transportation system..how long is that going to take? 5, 10 years? an eternity??

and it's a great idea to leave the roads at their current dilapidated state...they've spent so much money making a road network and maintaining the infrastructure in the country, but lets just stop putting money into it and let it disappear..vendors can use the country's extensive system of streams and sewers to row goods to markets. it takes something like 5 times more money to rebuild a road than it does to maintain one at a decent level, so if this idiot really thinks its a good idea to let the roads deteriorate the country's going to have to significantly increase it's borrowings within the next few decades at some point!

The country does definitely need a better public transportation system, I agree..and if it were better, a lot of people would switch back to it. But they need to improve the system FIRST..they can't just suddenly force people to stop using private vehicles and then say that they'll work on improving public transportation (i seriously doubt that the present transportation system has enough buses or trains to even increase its capacity to the level it would reach if everybody who drives cars suddenly started riding the buses!)..it'll just bring the country to a stand-still!

yet another idiot talking out of his a**...still amazing how they have the ability to serious piss people off after many decades of this BS!

Novel Solution

10 May 2007 11:04:53

Sri Lankan official suggests unorthodox way to solve traffic problem

May 10, 2007 (LBO) – A senior Sri Lankan government official has suggested doubling fuel prices and scrapping free cars and fuel for government servants to solve the island's transport problem.

Road Development Authority (RDA) chairman M.B.S. Fernando also made the startling suggestion that he prefers keeping roads in their present dilapidated state.

Slow Roads

Improving the roads would only encourage speeding, creating more "death traps" which kill more people each year than the ethnic war.

"The problem is that the road space is uneconomically used," Fernando said. "We don't transport people – we move vehicles."

The average occupancy of cars was only 1.3 people.

"So all this road space is being used for the benefit of only a few individuals," Fernando told a news conference held to announce a construction industry exhibition partly sponsored by the RDA.

Trains and buses can transport more people, more economically, but those who could afford it went by car and shunned public transport as it was over-crowded and badly run.

Fernando said he advocates raising the price of petrol by 100 rupees, from the present 104 rupees a litre, to discourage use of individual cars.

The money raised could be invested in improving public transport.

But he said the price of diesel should not be raised as it would increases costs of public transport and goods transport.

"I suggest the easiest way is to impose a toll, not on vehicles but on petrol," Fernando said.

"If you increase the price of petrol by 100 rupees a litre – overnight you solve the traffic problem."

Diesel Travesty

However critics say Sri Lanka's diesel pricing is very harmful to the road sector and petrol prices are already too high and increasing the gap would worsen what economists call the 'free rider' problem on Sri Lanka's roads.

About a third of petrol prices are made up of taxes, while diesel is hardly taxed. Petrol is used in lighter vehicles such as motorcycles, three wheelers and small cars which do less damage to roads.

Diesel is used by heavy vehicles (including container carriers), which cause severe damage to roads and may account for a substantial portion of the maintenance budget of the RDA.

At the moment diesel vehicles get a 'free ride' on roads with petrol users paying more than 30 percent of the retail prices in the form of taxes.

In countries like USA which have good roads, most of the maintenance money comes from petrol and diesel taxes.

Diesel for off road users such as farm vehicles is not taxed and is sold under a different colour.

People using 'farm diesel' for road transport are prosecuted under tax evasion laws.

In the 1980's and 1990's there was a proliferation of heavy vans, even heavier heavy pick-up trucks and luxury jeeps for personal transport because diesel was priced at 13 rupees a liter and petrol at 50 rupees.

People started to buy cars again after 2002 when the gap between petrol and diesel was closed somewhat.

At the moment the richer echelons of society including politicians and businessmen use tax free diesel to travel around while poor people who cannot afford diesel cars and motorcycle users who hardly damage roads, pay stiffer taxes.

Probably the biggest policy error committed by the Sri Lankan government in recent years was the 50 billion or so spent on fuel subsidies over the past three years, instead of using such moneys to develop the road network.

Too Few

Fernando says it is difficult to find investors to build modern expressways because of the long time taken to recoup the investment as the vehicle population that could be taxed through tolls – mainly cars – was relatively small.

There are only 250,000 cars in Sri Lanka of which 125,000 alone are in the western province.

Fernando also suggested the government stop giving free cars, fuel and drivers to public servants as a way of reducing the number of vehicles on the island's congested roads.

He estimates the government spends 75,000 rupees a month to maintain and fuel a car given free to officials in the bloated bureaucracy.

"Give them a vehicle allowance instead," he said, adding that this would prompt people not to use cars to go to office but public transport instead.

"The traffic problem is caused largely by people travelling to work by car."

Fernando also said officials who sit on the government transport committee were invariably those with free cars, petrol and drivers with little concern for the plight of ordinary people.

He estimates that 32 percent of the total car fleet is used by government departments, corporations and bodies like the provincial councils.

"So if you take that out of the traffic stream, the traffic problem will be solved by 50 percent."

Fernando said only two percent of the island's 100,000 km of roads are in "reasonably good condition" with the rest "in very bad shape."

Sri Lankan roads are regarded as some of the most dangerous in the world with lax law enforcement, too many vehicles and reckless drivers routinely ignoring basic safety rules.

Death Traps

Fernando called the roads "death traps", especially the few well-paved ones that enable speeding.

"We have not looked at the safety aspect when building roads, such as having separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians.

"Carpeted roads are a pleasure to drive on but they enable motorists to go at high speed, which increases the risk of accidents."

Fernando said he prefers to keep roads in their existing state of disrepair purely to reduce the incidence of accidents caused by speeding.

Accidents were killing about 2,500 people a year "more than the number of people killed in the ethnic conflict," he said.

"The people who die are in the 15-30 year age group – young people in the prime of their lives killed on the road as they begin to contribute to the country."

Accidents also injured some 30,000 people each year, with 8,000 of them maimed for life, losing a limb – again much more than the number maimed by the war

[dhp]

I am glad u guys were able to write a sensible replies cos I was too pissed off to do it. now that I have calmed down, here goes..

To solve problems in congested areas

-improve public transportation - get all the busses sitting in in depots to run and control overloading with heavy fines, also make sure tickets are issued and taxes are paid on those tickets.

-charge a fee(toll) for entering congested areas (cities) and give a concession for multiple passenger vehicles

-enforce traffic laws - this is hard with our "men in khakis"

-least but not least, fire this ricking fartard and get him to ride the bus for a change.

I was taught as an engineer to find solutions to make life better for people around you. Especially the people who can't help themselves. but what do I know, compared to the guy from the RDA...

[Velocity]

This Fellow Should be sacked for what he has said. Infact he has tried to save his possition by trying to say its good that roads are bad, so people go slow.

What a Pathetic Idiot. Thanks for all your comments. This is why i thought of posting this Articale taken from LBO. Last week president appointed a commitee to see why there were so many accidents on the road.

Simple Reason ! our Infrastructre is age old. We need to develop our Roads. Pump More money on to this.

Also We need Proper Driver Training School. Did you know still we can improve our Traffic Situation if drivers drive properly. ( Busses / Truck Drivers / and Three Wheelers - Also Road Hogs )

[ash]

This idiot must have hit his on something when he got up........ or just another a*s li*ker. Just pathetic.... Who could you expect to develop a country when there’re idiots like this in higher positions?

[Nozozo]

Novel Solution

10 May 2007 11:04:53

Sri Lankan official suggests unorthodox way to solve traffic problem

Slow Roads

Improving the roads would only encourage speeding, creating more "death traps" which kill more people each year than the ethnic war.

"The problem is that the road space is uneconomically used," Fernando said. "We don't transport people – we move vehicles."

The average occupancy of cars was only 1.3 people.

"So all this road space is being used for the benefit of only a few individuals," Fernando told a news conference held to announce a construction industry exhibition partly sponsored by the RDA.

Trains and buses can transport more people, more economically, but those who could afford it went by car and shunned public transport as it was over-crowded and badly run.

Fernando said he advocates raising the price of petrol by 100 rupees, from the present 104 rupees a litre, to discourage use of individual cars.

The money raised could be invested in improving public transport.

But he said the price of diesel should not be raised as it would increases costs of public transport and goods transport.

"I suggest the easiest way is to impose a toll, not on vehicles but on petrol," Fernando said.

"If you increase the price of petrol by 100 rupees a litre – overnight you solve the traffic problem."

I'm not sure what qualifications Mr.Fernando's got to be appointed to his current position. But he should be sent out on a sponsered educational visit to world most crowded cities to get an general idea about the usage of roads. Some cites have reserved lanes for public transport and taxis.

" This is like you cut your penis and balls for birth control !!"

[Kim]

how idiotic! better to leave before its too late.. (these things never gonna change OR get in order)

[GihanFX]

At 1k a litre, even I'd be a bit annoyed, but I doubt I'd change my driving habits much. Not that I'm rich or anything, its just that it simply really doesnt affect me.

Agree

[mazdaspeed]

another proud moment to be a Sri Lankan. We cant find working solutions, so we're going to do nothing. Whats the purpose of the RDA then?

someone PLEASE find out more about this retard so we can give him the exposure he deserves.

Yes Please doooo ....

Not fair- I posted my comments on LBO bt they have taken it off well part of it at least.....

I was asking if " he got his brains between his legs" nothing wrong in that... is there I mean U have to have it there to come out in public and make a statement like that

[Velocity]

"Carpeted roads are a pleasure to drive on but they enable motorists to go at high speed, which increases the risk of accidents."

Fernando said he prefers to keep roads in their existing state of disrepair purely to reduce the incidence of accidents caused by speeding.

NOW I KNOW WHY THIS HOLE APPEARED SUDENLY ON GALLE ROAD ......

[gunat]

While its probably some poorly-educated, (probably a politically appointed) idiot who made this statement- it just shows what kind of people are now running our country.

This blithering fool doesn't realize that by leaving the roads to ruin, apart from the private sector, we're destroying the one other infrastructure dependent income: Tourism.

If we make it more costly for the tourist industry to survive, like all price increases, they will pass their costs to their consumers. When it becomes cheaper to go to Thailand or India than Sri Lanka...people will make that choice.

Its no secret that the entire SL economy is riding on the private sector...with all the dough our govt. is spending to maintain the politicos and their catchers (not to mention the systematic depletion of the treasury and VAT funds)...they need to find the money somewhere...so why not screw those of us who actually work for a living.

The good thing is that this fool isn't in parliament...then we'd really have something to worry about.

[The Don]

The good thing is that this fool isn't in parliament...then we'd really have something to worry about.

Gunat I think you miss the point slightly, what does all of this say about the the idiot who appointed this blithering idiot to the RDA

Does he not have to be an even bigger idiot to make such an appointment ?

This just confirm what we all know full well, the ones who should be running the country are pulling working in the paddy fields (have 2 horns 4 legs and likes grass, ring any bells ?) cos the actual ones who are in these positions are of a far lower species

The Don

[Hola]

This Fellow Should be sacked for what he has said. Infact he has tried to save his possition by trying to say its good that roads are bad, so people go slow.

What a Pathetic Idiot. Thanks for all your comments. This is why i thought of posting this Articale taken from LBO. Last week president appointed a commitee to see why there were so many accidents on the road.

Simple Reason ! our Infrastructre is age old. We need to develop our Roads. Pump More money on to this.

Also We need Proper Driver Training School. Did you know still we can improve our Traffic Situation if drivers drive properly. ( Busses / Truck Drivers / and Three Wheelers - Also Road Hogs )

Most of the 3 wheeler guys are young guys who have learned the driving themself in trial and error and has got the licence through bribe. Its just we dont have a proper system

[Elvis_Pil]

" This is like you cut your penis and balls for birth control !!"

God forbid!!!

[gunat]

Gunat I think you miss the point slightly, what does all of this say about the the idiot who appointed this blithering idiot to the RDA

Does he not have to be an even bigger idiot to make such an appointment ?

This just confirm what we all know full well, the ones who should be running the country are pulling working in the paddy fields (have 2 horns 4 legs and likes grass, ring any bells ?) cos the actual ones who are in these positions are of a far lower species

The Don

Did i miss the point? I may be straying from the root of this post (sorry Velocity!) but there is a bigger picture that is painted with such a statement being made.

I did mention that it shows what kind of people are running our country...and thats a general statement.

The flipside of all of this is that such 'species' do not get to such positions on their own- they were voted in! Which brings me to the saddest conclusion of all of this: We get what we deserve....if our people wanted such leaders, then thats what its going to be.

And what we are hearing/seeing is the basis of the Propaganda these species use to get that rural "farming" vote: Take from the those who have money and give to those who don't. To the poorly educated person living in the rural, this will seem a good approach...they won't realize that 90% of that money will find its way into the pockets of most of the politicos.

Its so frustrating to read an article such as this, for while it is trivial...it paints a bleak picture of where our country is heading. Apart from the economic decline, it also shows what kind of people Sri Lankans are becoming.

Ever heard of the story of the frogs stuck in the bottom of a drying well? Instead of trying to help each other to push at least ONE of themselves out of the well, they fight amongst themselves and pull down any frog that tries to climb out of the bad situation.

The one time i saw our people united completely towards one cause was when our Cricket team was heading for the World Cup finals. The entire country was rooting for a very diverse set of Sri Lankans who were representing their nation in an international event.

Rumour has it that even the clashes in the North and East ceased for those moments when our boys were playing a match.

So it took a Cricket team to do this...

[MSP0RT5]

There's a report on the net called "Unskilled and Unaware of it" which really fits some of the public officials we've had to work with in SL. Just a quote from one of the paras, says it all really;

"The British philosopher Bertrand Russell once wrote that "the trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

If you're interested in reading the whole article, google it. We work with a large govt dept that controls a large necessary infrastructure in SL. You have no idea how bleak it is gunat.....

[Velocity]

Ever heard of the story of the frogs stuck in the bottom of a drying well? Instead of trying to help each other to push at least ONE of themselves out of the well, they fight amongst themselves and pull down any frog that tries to climb out of the bad situation.

AMEN TO THAT BRO....

[madmax]

Last night this above mentioned chairman came on the news. I hate to discriminate but he actually looks like a retard