Letters to the Editor
View(s):Take heed before a disaster happens on Marine Drive
The Sri Lanka Highway Code, item 49 states very clearly “at a Pedestrian Crossing indicated by a road sign and road marking, you should reduce speed to enable you to stop. If a pedestrian is at a pedestrian crossing you should bring your vehicle to a halt before that sign or before the give way line of a zebra crossing and thereafter proceed with due regard to the safety of the pedestrian using that crossing”. On the contrary, on several occasions when I have attempted to cross at a pedestrian crossing on Marine Drive, I have had to dodge speeding motorists driving humongous vehicles who flash their lights and speed on, just inches in front of me.
Furthermore, I have also had to endure motorcyclists carrying children on their pillion speeding past in front of me whilst crossing at the pedestrian crossing. I dread to think what sort of behaviour and discipline are these parents instilling to their children at an impressionable age.
It adds insult to injury when on the few occasions that I have witnessed a police officer manning the pedestrian crossing adjoining the Wellawatte railway station, he gives priority to the motorists and keeps the pedestrians waiting for quite a few minutes until a large number of them have gathered, before assisting them to cross. I beg to ask the question, ‘does he not know that the pedestrian crossing belongs to the pedestrian and not the motorist’?
Having observed the general worsening behaviour of motorists in our country and the equally errant behaviour of pedestrians who attempt to cross the road ‘willy-nilly’, I truly believe that the only way to prevent a disaster happening on Marine Drive is to instal traffic lights at some of the pedestrian crossings. I fervently hope that the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake will give this his serious consideration.
Dr. Elmo Thambapillai Colombo 6
Reducing evening walks simply to save on parking fees
I wish to endorse the views expressed by Rohan Abeygunawardene in his letter to the Sunday Times last Sunday regarding parking charges at Weli Park.
I am a 78-year-old retired resident of the area and a regular walker at the park. Since crossing busy roads is risky at my age, I have to drive my old car to the park for my evening walk. Unfortunately, I now have to pay Rs. 70 each time I park.
Living on a modest retirement income, I must manage my expenses carefully. As a citizen who paid income tax for over 45 years, it is disheartening that I now have to reduce my evening walks to every other day simply to save on parking fees.
Previously, those visiting the park for walking and exercise were not charged for parking. I respectfully request the Mayor of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and officials of the Urban Development Authority to reconsider this policy and exempt genuine park users from parking charges during the morning
hours until 9 a.m. and in the evening from 4 p.m.
Such a policy would support the health and well-being of the community while ensuring that the park continues to serve its intended purpose.
Sariputhra Via email
Time to regulate channelling
One patient recently described how his doctor, exhausted, was dozing while writing a prescription. He threw it away and had to consult another doctor the next day. The channelling centres, however, remain unmoved. They collect their fees, pass a portion to the doctor, and ignore the wellbeing of both patients and practitioners.
Across the world, even manual labourers whose work does not demand specialised knowledge are protected by fixed working hours. Yet here, doctors are expected to function endlessly, despite the fact that their work requires sharp judgment, intellectual focus, and compassion. Sleep-deprived doctors are not just unfairly burdened; they pose risks to patients who depend on their clarity and care.
This is not simply a matter of inconvenience – it is a matter of human dignity and public safety. The government must step in to regulate the channelling industry. Patients deserve timely, attentive care. Doctors deserve humane working conditions. Without reform, we risk turning healthcare into a profit-driven treadmill that exhausts doctors and shortchanges patients.
It is time to put this industry in order –fairly, responsibly, and in a way that honours both those who heal and those who seek healing.
Deshapriya Rajapaksha Via email
Cheers to the ladies
Cheers to the ladies, who make a contribution to the economy, stand up for others’ rights and spread loving kindness, right round
Cheers for the ladies, who help those in need, advise and guide, impart knowledge and give joy around
Cheers to the unsung heroines, who are towers of strength, motivating ’n supporting, their sons and daughters, until they earn
Cheers for the lady home makers, who raise children, cultivate land, supplement income, and let home fires burn
Cheers to the ladies, who steer the family’s ambitious journey, and move beyond, to do a good turn
Cheers to the ladies, who effectively combine professional and family commitments and duties, with many responsibilities to hold
Cheers for those ladies, who overcome many challenges, give strength to those in need, while they make sacrifices, untold
Cheers for the ladies, who with a glimmer of hope, through thick and thin, achieve their goals
Cheers to the ladies, who cultivate virtue and wisdom and add colour, zest and good values to life
Cheers to the lady senior citizens, who work together, towards a worthy cause, in unity so that they could make donations to charity
Cheers to lady entrepreneurs, who provide livelihoods, elevate others’ living standards and give joyful memories to unfold
Cheers for everyone, who is inspired, to build an environment of peace, compassion and cooperation, and live in a world, with Nature’s beautiful surroundings
-Damayanthi Perera
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