Thursday, 4 July 2013 00:22
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Railway crossings crashed to people’s consciousness recently after eight tragic deaths were recorded within a few days of each other opening questions over government efficiency and accountability of Rs. 1 billion in budget allocations that were earmarked in 2011 for railway crossings.
Readers will remember that six people died when their van collided with a train at a level crossing on the Southern coastal line in Aluthgama on 25 June, and three days later another two people died when their lorry collided with the Colombo-Badulla train at an unprotected crossing in Meerigama.
Predictably the public blamed the Government for the deaths, accusing the Government of failing to install rail gates at unprotected level crossings. However, railway authorities charge that drivers are irresponsible and try to race the trains causing collisions.
Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) was appealed to by a distraught public who also called for an immediate report from the Transport Ministry and the Railway Department on the measures the authorities have taken to prevent the fatal accidents at unprotected rails crossings.
Following the deaths, the Railway Department said the Government has taken immediate measures to install rail gates at unprotected level crossings. According to reports the Cabinet of Ministers in 2011 approved the allocation of Rs. 1 billion to provide protection systems to 200 unprotected level crossings. However, a large number of rail crossings remain without any safety mechanisms to warn the drivers of approaching trains.
Repeating his distinctive style of intervention President Mahinda Rajapaksa gathered the relevant officials and instructed them to fast track the railway crossings. From vegetable crate transportation to the more recent revamping of electricity hikes, it seems that the President is essential to get the public service to do their duty, even when the necessary fund allocations were made two years ago.
This repeated inability of due process to deal with the tasks of the public service and independently account for their actions, or in this case inaction, is an element that is often witnessed by the public. While such events are no doubt pounced upon by spin doctors to increase the popularity and visibility of the President it makes for a very poor show with regard to efficiency of the public service.
Moreover, there is no inquiry into the reasons for the delay and no acceptance of responsibility by any Government department for this needless loss of life. Of course such ineptitude leaves room for similar tragedies to take place in the future as can be seen by past events where deaths at railway crossings were ignored to the point that people living near these danger zones took it upon themselves to warn commuters and drivers. However, for now the dust has settled. The Transport Ministry had taken measures to allocate Rs. 643 million to install rail gates at unprotected railway crossings this year. The Ministry has reportedly identified 486 unprotected railway crossings throughout the country and the first round of 116 gates are to be installed this year. During discussions with the President it was revealed that 754 out of 1,083 crossings are without gates.
It is now up to the public to make sure that this issue does not get swept under a train and the Government officials carry out their plans competently so that such heartbreak can finally end in Sri Lanka.
