School Reopenings, City Gridlock: Time for Coordinated School Timings

The full reopening of schools following the conclusion of the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Examination has once again exposed a serious and recurring urban challenge—severe traffic congestion.

At around 2.00 p.m. yesterday, Maradana Road came to a complete standstill when I was on my way to collect my grandson from Jayasekararamaya Temple, Kuppiyawatta, where he was attending rehearsals for an upcoming concert of Asoka College. The traffic was so heavily congested that I was compelled to alight from the bus near Vajiragnana Road and walk along Maradana Road and subsequently down Ananda Mawatha.

 The situation along Ananda Mawatha was particularly alarming. The entire stretch bordering Ananda College was choked with school vans, private cars, three-wheelers, and motorbikes, leaving little room for movement and causing undue inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians alike.

 This congestion is hardly surprising; given the concentration of several prominent schools within a very limited radius—among them Ananda College, Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, Asoka College, Clifton Balika Vidyalaya, Khairiya Muslim Ladies’ College, St. Joseph’s College, Zahira College, in addition to a number of international schools in the vicinity.

 This raises a fundamental and practical question: why can the starting and closing times of these schools—located virtually a stone’s throw away from one another—not be staggered? A well-coordinated timetable could significantly ease traffic pressure, improve road safety, and reduce daily stress for parents, students, and the general public.

 It is timely for the Ministry of Education, in consultation with school authorities, to give serious consideration to sustainable and coordinated solutions to address this inevitable yet manageable traffic snarl.

Otherwise, when school bells ring, city traffic will grind to a halt!!

-  Mohamed Zahran

 Colombo