CILT and PIMA seminar raise driverless mobility options for Port City

PIMA and CILT team with the speaker and panellists

Panel discussion in session

Section of the audience

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Sri Lanka (CILT) in partnership with PIM Alumni Association (PIMA) of the Postgraduate Institute of Management concluded a successful CPD seminar recently on ‘Mobility Solutions for the Next Generation’ at the PIM Auditorium for the second consecutive year, with a large gathering of professional and academic enthusiasts. 

CILT SL Chairperson Gayani de Alwis CMILT, who is also a PIM Alumni in her welcome address thanked PIMA for coming together to organise an event of this nature for the benefit of both PIM alumni and CILT membership for the second consecutive year and assured that both parties will hold this as a regular event in their annual calendar.  

She mentioned that it is important to identity topics of interest to create a public discourse especially in the mobility space. She concluded by saying: “A country is developed not when poor travel by car, rather when the rich use public transport.” PIM Director Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri in his address commended both PIMA and CILT for creating a platform to disseminate knowledge on a timely topic, which is useful for the general public. 

University of Moratuwa Department of Civil Engineering Senior Lecturer Transport Engineering Division Dr. Dimantha De Silva delivered the keynote speech. The eminent panel consisted of CILT Vice Chairperson and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Faculty of Management Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Dr. Namali Sirisoma CMILT, University of Moratuwa Department of Civil Engineering Transport Engineering Division Senior Lecturer Dr. HR Pasindu CMILT, John Keells Holdings Executive VP Nayana Mawilmada and Infotecs Ltd. Consultant Ramya Weerakoon.  

The panel discussion was skilfully moderated by CILT past Chairman and DRH Logistics Chairman/Managing Director Diren Hallock, FCILT. 

Keynote Speaker Dr. De Silva explained that mobility is having access to quality transportation options that you can count on to get you where you want, taking time, affordability and safety in mind. He spoke about the history and evolution of urban mobility and how it has evolved to the current situation. He was quite specific when showing that as passenger densities grow the country must move to different technologies to ensure market demand and quality service.   Quoting the CoMTrans Report of 2013, he highlighted that 10 million daily passenger trips are happening within Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR), out of which 7.8 million trips per day are motorised trips, 2.2 million non-motorised, such as walking. Daily 1.9 million passengers enter the CMC limits. In CMR, in terms of mode share, bus contributes to 48% with an approx. 2,500 km network; rail is 4% with approx. 200 km in the network.  However it was shown that peak rail share by corridors which have a rail connection are still high with close to 35-43% of the peak traffic being catered by rail showing that rail have a demand when a connectivity is provided. He spoke about the importance of rail being the main mode to transport passengers and the need for modernising the existing rail network and extending the LRT to the areas where rail cannot extend. 

The proposed railway electrification and modernisation plan for the 196 km existing rail lines from Panadura to Veyangoda with the extension to Rambukkana (110 km), Ragama to Negombo and airport connection (26 km) and KV line (60 km) and proposed LRT networks was highlighted as required to provide connectivity to passengers. 

While highlighting the importance of proposed JICA LRT between Malabe and Fort, he cautioned of going overboard with extending the LRT beyond the urban limits with such changes in the routes being proposed by the PPP LRT lines (Red, Blue and Green) which will duplicate with the existing rail networks. 

He stressed that bus needs to change its role and function more as a feeder system to the rail based transport with increased frequency and city circular systems, while the routes parallel to railways and LRT to be with less frequency with time when the railway improvements are completed.

He also spoke about the need to leverage technology for information sharing and mentioned that Google Transit for sharing public transport info on Google maps are now available. With the use of Google traffic data, transport planning, bottleneck identification, congestion evaluation, and junction queue length monitoring are being done and also school van search portal and crash data maps for western province are also being pursued. 

The next phase is moving to Google Transit real time where users will get trip updates and service alerts he added. Quoting from Walt Disney, he concluded by saying that “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing” and urging all stakeholders to focus their energy to implement these proposals. Dr. Sirisoma stated that in order to encourage people to shift from cars to public transport would only happen if the quality of service is improved. Different services should be provided identifying the market segmentation and customer needs in different segments. Battaramulla has been identified as the administrative zone of Colombo District but inadequate public transport services are being provided parallel to the new infrastructure development. Nayana Mawilmada stressed the importance of adopting an integrated approach to urban planning with mobility experts to derive the best solutions and went on to say that the two authorities UDA and RDA should be brought under one ministry working in tandem to gain synergies. 

Dr. Pasindu during his speech highlighted the road safety issues and the need to implement the road safety action plan, which focuses on evidence based interventions to minimise the ever-increasing fatalities.  Weerakoon urged the need for a concerted effort to promote affordable scheduled as well as chartered domestic air travel with efficient modal connectivity, as Sri Lanka has two international airports, 12 domestic airports (covering 14 districts in seven provinces) plus 13 water aerodromes (covering 10 districts in five provinces) while producing an annual average of approximately 300 aviation professionals via 13 accredited aviation academies. 

The domestic air services provided via four fixed wing operators and six rotary wing operators providing 20,584 passenger transfers via 4,980 aircraft movements despite the Easter attack. These domestic transfers are currently utilised by high net worth individuals, corporate travellers, expatriate executives and tourists with pre-reserved bookings via travel service providers, she opined.

Key takeaway points for improving the current mobility issues identified as short and medium term action as highlighted by the keynote speaker and panellists are as follows:

Short term

• Easing of congestion – Address specific bottle necks, improve signal system, increase train frequencies on high demand corridors and introduction of feeder bus services 
• Modifications to high-demand corridors, traffic Police enforcement to be strengthened by use of technology e.g. drone cameras in high traffic corridors/junctions linked to rapid action mobile motorbike patrol Police
• Propose that Port City development seriously consider implementation of self-drive/autonomous vehicular system for buses/cars operating within Port City. This could be an eye-opener for transport professionals to study and make inputs to mobility, which will improve regional network, short distance and system envisaged in the Port City
• Road safety – Further enhance accident response measures to deal with injured persons with high priority, fast track review of legal and insurance framework to facilitate legal aid, increase and speed up compensation settlement, review puerile system of remanding drivers as opposed to cancelling, suspending licenses, confiscation of mechanically defective vehicles which are causes for accidents. Crash map location focus with RDA to identify road design issues  
• Technologies to share information for transport users

Medium term

• Access to multiple modes of transportation and technologies and the quality of those options considering safety and affordability
• Rail based transport to lead the mobility of people by modernisation and electrification
• Role of buses should be improved in regional network, short distance and feeder systems
• LRT networks to support the suburban rail
• Enhance public transport system with focus on fast tracking railway developments of existing railway services/lines and signalling systems, fast-track Malambe to Fort LRT project
• Implement a scheme to redesign the type of buses used on our roads in keeping with the requirements that would facilitate efficient service
• Implement better feeder system to integrate between bus and train services, promote park and ride, bicycle and other transfer facilities in public transport system
• Implement an integrated approach for urban planning with mobility experts as an integral part of the process
• Create a more conducive environment for private sector investment to enhance domestic aviation operations particularly with regards to operation of domestic airports, airstrips and security clearance process
• A holistic approach to be adopted encompassing fiscal measures with particular reference to taxation and sourcing of funding and road pricing, public awareness and education, harnessing of public-private sector participation when implementing above points

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport is a leading global professional body associated with the logistics, transport and supply chain industry. CILT celebrated its Centenary year last year. The Institute holds unparalleled international recognition and works towards achieving its objectives of promoting and encouraging the art and science of logistics and transport through its membership and its educational qualifications. 

With a global membership of over 35,000 in 36 countries across the globe, CILT provides a professional identity to those in the ever-expanding logistics and transport sector. It is a strong, active and a unified professional body that is able to speak with authority on strategic issues related to transport and logistics.