It is not the right time to stage Colombo Night Races
The Colombo Night Races will screech to an exciting conclusion tonight after several speedy and spectacular vehicles, including a championship Formula One race car, rips down the streets along Galle Face Green. The show is guaranteed to be exhilarating, but will it remain only a breathtaking spectacle or will it offer any lasting benefits beyond that?
 In the short-run people will see it as bad but long-term we will see its benefits in tourism. So I see nothing wrong with it. - Ashwin Vidanagamage (designer) |
 The races are definitely beneficial for both tourism and the drivers. Drivers have trouble getting sponsors but an event like this will give lots of exposure to potential sponsors given that the Night Races are held in Colombo, which is their main target area. And in terms of tourism, this is being done with a five-year plan and we eventually want to have a street circuit which will draw international race cars. - Dinesh Jayawardena (Top race car driver) |
 The whole thing is a waste of money, especially with the cost of living. It will not help the country, only certain people. It would be ideal if this involved the whole country. But there is so much better work that can be done in Colombo. Instead this is just a hassle for people here. - Halique Khasim (Private sector employee) |
 Something like this is good but it is not the right time for the country to stage events like this. We are struggling economically, and public funds can be invested in better ways. Right now if we want to bring in tourists and develop things we should be focusing on good governance. - Badurdeen Imtiaz (Private sector employee) |
 The Colombo Night Races are not going to help the country or racing. It is just a waste of money and an inconvenience. So many better things can be done with the money that is being spent. Public money is being spent for private work. When the country is developed to a certain level then only can you think of doing things like this. - M. Miswar (Private sector employee) |
 There are advantages and disadvantages that come with it. Opinions vary but on the whole most people will say that their money is just being spent uselessly. - Shiang Wong (Private sector employee) |