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Where are you? You are late!
I’m on my way, stuck in a traffic jam
This is a part of a usual conversation that I have almost everyday with my friends. No, not because I’m a lazy chap (I get up at 5.00 am every day; hope that is enough before you judge me) but rather because of the incompetence of public transportation in Sri Lanka.
It’s true that public transport sector has developed over the last few years, still it’s hard to say that it’s on a par with modern modes of urban transport.
The government is now showing more interest towards uplifting the public transport systems.
You may have already heard of BRT and railway electrification systems. BRT; Bus Rapid Transit system is uniquely designed to improve infrastructure and remove the typical causes of delay. The specialty of the system is, buses operate in an exclusive lane with no traffic congestion.
A railway electrification system solely depends on electricity without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. This can be known as one of the best methods to conserve energy. And is also a good solution to enhance the quality of the public transport network.
The transportation plan is to introduce a BRT systems for Galle road, railway electrification system for Negombo to Colombo corridor, and both BRT system followed by railway electrification for the Malabe corridor.
The transportation master plan recommended the BRT system and making changes to the existing railway network.
Countries like China, Japan and Korea have already implemented the BRT system, which has made the public transportation of above mentioned countries very efficient.
Moreover the government has also focused on monorail systems. A monorail is a railway that is consists of a single rail. Monorail is more expensive compared to the BRT and railway electrification systems. The cost for rail lines, with recent contractors, went up to 2.5 million dollars per kilometre, while the cost for monorail is estimated at more than 30 million dollars per kilometre.
The main advantage of a monorail system is that it requires less space compared to rails. Due to this less materials are needed for support pillars.
Sri Lanka’s plans for public transport, especially in urban areas must make sure to draw a significant connection between commercial and residential property development to make it more feasible.
There is no doubt that the government should implement some major changes in the public transportation services but at the same time the priority must be given to economically advantageous options.
The Future of Urban Transport in Sri Lanka
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