E01 drivers severely warned

Saturday, 04 February 2012 02:17

The Highways and Road Development Ministry yesterday warned drivers on the Southern Expressway to refrain from drunk driving, falling asleep at the wheel or driving over the speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour following the road accident that killed a 26 year old man on the expressway early yesterday morning.

Ministry officials said drivers could not stop their vehicles on the expressway unless in the case of a vehicle break down or some other emergency where the vehicle can be parked in a side corner of the expressway behind a demarcated line.

“In case of an emergency on the expressway a person could call 1969 and a special unit set up by the ministry will rush to the scene,” a Highways Ministry official said. He said the emergency unit will send an ambulance, police or other required services.

Meanwhile commuters on the expressway told the Daily Mirror they had witnessed incompetent drivers with ‘L’ boards and U turns taken on the expressway which were against the regulations imposed for those driving on the Southern Expressway.

Drivers are expected to be competent, wear their seat belts, drive at a maximum of 100 kilometres per hour and purchase a ticket at the ticketing counter where drivers are given a leaflet which lays out all the regulations for Southern Expressway drivers. (Olindhi Jayasundere)

Comments

-0+3#citizen12012-02-04 09:29

This is always the case. Wait until AFTER a tragedy takes place. Anyhow better lat tha never I guess.

-1+10#Sri Lankan2012-02-04 10:02

It is pathetic that now the vehicle intake to the E01 is not properly exercised. They do not check the proper condition of the vehicles as they told. Not monitoring the high speed vehicles. Sri Lanka need more discipline to avoid tragic situations.

-1+4#Moday2012-02-04 11:15

"Sri Lanka need more discipline" - only for the drivers?

-0+14#yp2012-02-04 10:07

Is that the so called minister who boasted that he drove in this highway at 180 kmph ? Good role model LOL

-0+2#citizen12012-02-04 12:36

one law for them and a different one for the rest of us.

-9+6#Dr Upendra Rajapaksh2012-02-04 10:37

Why do we call this an "express way". This gives an impression to mentally imbalanced drivers(unfortunately most of the drivers on Sri Lankan roads are this nature) that this is a road to speeding. The Government should take immadiate measures to call this road (and even future roads of this nature) a "Free Way:, which is free of traffic and trafic lights.

In addition, the maximum speed limit reduce to 80 Km/h. With the total distance of the road and distances between entry and exit points 80 km/h will be more appropriate to the Sri Lankan situation. We should do this without waiting for more accidnts and deaths.

The police should be educated of traffic rules.

-0+0#Chammika2012-02-04 11:21

I would prefer if you could maintain proper rules and regulations in order to prevent these accidents. This is the reason which the driver is not competent to control his vehicle at high speeds. Anybody whoever drives in the E01 Expressway, he/her should have experince in controling of a vehicle approximately more the 01 calendar year. This practice could help to reduce such accidents.

-0+0#Raj2012-02-04 14:11

It is not too late to have a safe driving campaign on state and private TV channels. The campaign should cover all areas of safe, disciplned and secure driving on normal national roads and expressways.

-0+0#ajantha2012-02-04 15:02

100Km/h is very manageable speed on a highway if you are on a conditioned vehicle. When drivers get used to the road 100km/h would be normal. This type of accidents happen every highways.

-0+1#jfk2012-02-04 21:05

Search You Tube and you would find video's of some lunatics stopping in the middle of this highway and getting out and showing of dancing sequences on the road in the night.

The police are very prompt at issuing tickets for "ira kapuwa" on ordinary roads. But they ignore speed limits on highways. Perhaps the police should trace the culprits using the video evidence and punish them.

It has become a "the thing" for many idiots to claim that they drove in Southern Highway over the speed limits. Little they know that they are digging their own grave and that of many other innocent people.

-0+1#Kira2012-02-05 02:21

Sri Lankan Drivers must adupt a New driving style on their High ways. They must learn how to maintain the distence between vehicles and merge in to the high way traffic. 100 KMPH is a avrage speed travel . Best Idea is educate drivers that must be done by profecional drivers . Because they can help those Sri Lankan Drivers to build up their driving skills.

-0+1#Dilini2012-02-05 10:23

It's time to arrange a TV programme how we drive on a express way and how we improve our dicipline as well. Otherwise we couldn't reduce these unnecessary accidents happened on not only E01 but all roads. The other thing is Police must strickt their rules and regulation to all drivers. When drivers enter their vehicle to the road they don't concider ther other's frredom specially about the passenges.

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