Switching off traffic lights

I am a resident of Colombo 3 and find that the Traffic Police have taken it upon themselves to switch off all the traffic lights along the Galle Road in Kollupitiya. This occurs in the mornings and then in the evenings along Duplication Road. This practice was halted right after the elections which brought a sigh of relief. This appears to be temporary and today the madness recommenced. 

Switching off traffic lights at pedestrian cross makes crossing the road extremely dangerous as there are many idiots behind the wheel who try to spot their vehicles almost over your foot! A case in point the increase in the number of fatalities.  

If people who drive motor vehicles find it extremely difficult to get to their places of work on time or where ever destination due to the traffic, they should leave early, leaving allowance for the number of vehicles on the road or the times they have stop to permit pedestrians to cross the roads at crossings.  

I find the Government extremely foolish if they took it upon themselves to spend a colossal sums of taxpayers’ money to install traffic lights to regulate traffic and bring some order on the roads, to conveniently switch them off in the hope of ensuring a ‘smooth’ flow of traffic. Why did they install them in the first place? Perches for birds or decorative purposes?

Shane Croner