Colombo schoolchildren at higher risk of road accidents: Minister

3 April 2024 10:46 pm - 9 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Colombo, April 3 (Daily Mirror) - Children attending school face a greater risk of road accidents in the densely populated city of Colombo compared to other areas of the country, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said, addressing an event organized at the Ministry for the official launch of the 'School Road Safety Club'.

Therefore, he said that urgent steps have to be taken to change this tragic situation, and for that, such road safety programmes are a great support.

"It's notable that the majority of urban traffic accidents occur within the Colombo Municipal Council area. There are a total of 144 schools in the Colombo zone, of which 21 are national schools and another 20 fall under the international and private school categories. The remaining schools are under the Western Provincial Council," he said.

"196,000 children usually come to school every day within the Colombo Municipality. Those students used to come to schools using various methods, such as Sisu Seriya School Service, school vans, three-wheelers, and their own family private transportation modes," he said.

During his speech, he said that there is no discipline anywhere in our country. I'm not afraid to say that. So it is about how to discipline the children of the country if we cannot maintain discipline in the place where the laws are formed.

"Therefore, we should start practicing discipline at the school. In a country like Japan, discipline is practiced in the pre-school grades. Our pre-school systems are totally different, and we are always trying to teach them to read, write, and count, which is more heavy on their brains," he said.

Meanwhile, he said if the majority of reported abuse cases in the country involve children, Facebook has emerged as the primary factor contributing to this situation.

After Parliament passed the controversial Online Safety Bill, including Facebook, many ministers started yelling against it, but heavy criticisms were raised in the Parliament in America; even Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg apologized.

If that situation occurs in Sri Lanka, the people will disseminate the person on social media.

Pix by Nisal Baduge

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Comments - 9

TEACH THE CHILDREN ROAD RULES PERTAINING TO PEDESTRIANS, WILL DO THEM A WORLD OF GOOD Thursday, 04 April 2024 01:09 AM

MAJORITY OF PARENTS CANNOT PUT 3 SQUARE MEALS ON THE TABLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN, USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR WALK TO SCHOOL. FOR THE SAKE OF THE POOR MASSES WHO HAVE NO SHOES TO PUT ON THEIR FEET TO GO TO SCHOOL ETC. EDUCATE THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET EMPLOYMENT IF NOT THE OPPORTUNIT TO EVEN FINISH YEAR 12. WHEN THE HELLO WILL THE MAJORITY BE ABLE TO BUY A VEHILE TO DRIVE?. WE NEED SOME OF OUR POLITICIANS TO SEE MENTAL HELP.

M Fernando Thursday, 04 April 2024 01:54 AM

Wow ! Give the man an award ! It's clear that his brain was not subject to any heavy-lifting during his youth. No one else could have figured out that in a highly populated, high-traffic area in a country where road rules are rarely observed, that schoolchildren would be at higher risk ! People ask why we have Ministers,,,, this is why !

Joshua Thursday, 04 April 2024 06:05 AM

Because of the risk you want to give driving license to children? Earlier story and this story are disconnects.

NAGALAND Thursday, 04 April 2024 06:53 AM

BECAUSE NO SIDE WALKS, NO STOP SIGNS, NO SIGNAL LIGHT, NO SPEED LIMIT. NO PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTRY.

Mahendra Fernando Thursday, 04 April 2024 08:50 AM

Lead by example when lecturing about discipline

Ron Thursday, 04 April 2024 10:29 AM

Not only children everyone is at risk on our roads no proper policing no proper road safty rules no speed limits majority who drive and rides care extremely dangerous careless high risk takers over takes from left right centre hardly obey road rules busses threewheels motorbikes are the biggest problem on roads they have given lisence to this fellows who have no basic common sense to drive which make others at risk loosing lives and injuries and the majority idiotic drivers must be taken off the roads to make safe for others poor policing increase fines cancellation of license need to introduced given targets for the police to keep roads safe...you dont see police stoping careles drives stops only motorbikes for rego lisence its been the case for somany year's

Nalin Gooneratne Thursday, 04 April 2024 11:32 AM

Take action against motorist who do not stop for the red light.

Karalasingam Sivalingam Thursday, 04 April 2024 01:40 PM

Implement road rules strictly, overtaking from the left overspeeding, competition among bus drivers,drunken driving etc, should be stopped.

Palanath Senthu Thursday, 04 April 2024 06:49 PM

Gon Bandula is proposing to issue licence for school boys without testing!!

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Colombo schoolchildren at higher risk of road accidents: Minister

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