The Hon. Sujeewa Dissanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the very timely regulations published under Gazettes 2452/40 and 2455/29 of the Motor Traffic Act have been presented by the Hon. Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Niroshan Rathnayake, for approval. I consider it an important opportunity to comment.

¶ 02 Transport is a key metric of a country’s development and a dedicated sector to deliver essential services efficiently. From walking to the invention of the wheel, and since the 18th century industrial revolution, humanity has advanced through motor vehicles—from push-cycles to modern ranges including Benz and Ferrari.

¶ 03 Transport should save time and enhance life quality, but rising complexity, schedules, and ambitions have altered behavior. We need disciplined, law-abiding drivers who respect others. Yet we see drunk and drug-affected driving—ice, cannabis, hashish—endangering passengers and pedestrians. Police focus has been largely on alcohol; the resulting losses are immense.

¶ 04 In Kurunegala District, at the Alawwa–Polgahawela rail crossing (Yangalmodara), in April 2005, due to a driver’s indiscipline and a gatekeeper’s negligence, a major crash killed around 40 people. In 2025, a Kataragama–Kurunegala night bus crashed at Gerandialla; about 22 died. Road accidents claim about seven lives daily—more than many natural disasters. A human life is priceless; drunk and drugged driving is causing vast destruction. Our policy “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life” obliges us to protect life; hence these regulations.

¶ 05 On public transport: SLTB and private buses, school vans, three-wheelers, and office transports serve the public. Typically, buses cascade from long-distance to inter-provincial to intra-provincial to village services, and finally become school vans—often 1980s models—carrying children. We must ensure vehicle roadworthiness—mandatory fitness tests for buses and other public transport, checking brakes and suitability for highways.

¶ 06 Kurunegala offers examples—from Yangalmodara to the Gerandialla crash—and even a recent van carrying schoolchildren in Kuliyapitiya collided with a tipper, costing young lives. It’s not just drugs; vehicle condition matters.

¶ 07 We commenced rural bus services on January 1 and began carpeting or concreting 77 roads from January 15. Last year, capital expenditure reached a historic high—about 90% execution—nearly Rs. 500 billion for carpeting/concreting roads. We have launched major works, including on the Kadawatha–Mirigama and Pothuhera–Rambukkana sections of the expressway network, and are progressing the Kurunegala–Dambulla Expressway with studies, land acquisition, compensation, and budget allocations.

¶ 08 The “Ditscha” cyclone severely damaged roads. In Wariyapola electorate—through which three main rivers flow: Deduru Oya, Maguru Oya, and Kolamuna Oya—1,106 rural roads were damaged; 1,166 have been repaired already. On Wariyapola–Ganewatta road near the Deduru Oya bridge, a 60-foot section sank over 40 feet deep; though assessed for December 16, by December 14 we had reopened it. I thank the Wariyapola Pradeshiya Sabha and Kurunegala RDA officials. We also assisted Kandy and Matale districts; most main and rural roads are now restored. At the request of the Commissioner General of Essential Services, our council’s backhoe and JCB have been deployed to Udunuwara, and to Ambokka and Koswatta in Matale to clear canals and rebuild roads. This debate is timely; thank you for the opportunity.