Colombo public life in a mess .....
with congestion of traffic because of new plan to curtail traffic
As a result of the new traffic plan which was implemented last morning (12) Colombo drivers were unable to even find directions where they had to go and were thus rendered helpless because of a serious traffic congestion, it is reported.
As a consequence of the mew traffic plan enforced in the City of Colombo and adjacent areas there had been a heavy traffic congestion in the city for several hours with lakhs of people facing limitless difficulties in the process and a large number of office workers were forced to report to work an hour or an hour and a half late. It was without any alternative as such that vehicles in places such as Borella, Rajagiriya, Punchi Borella, Town Hall, Narahenpita, Thimbirigasyaya and Welikada had to be kept motionless at the same spot.
In the meantime, because of the new traffic plan implemented from Maharagama town, there had been a heavy traffic congestion observed from Maharagama, Nugegoda areas and along High Level Road. What some people said was that if this experimental change was effected during a weekend or else during school holidays and enforced on normal days after that gradually, this unpleasant situation would not have arisen. It was noted that this traffic plan being announced across the media had not brought successful results for the reason that drivers were baffled being unable to locate the necessary roads or routes. This situation was reported from vehicle drivers around Welikada area. Most drivers were unaware that vehicles coming from the direction of Nawala should instead of turning right and going towards Battaramulla, should have turned left and headed towards the Election Commissioner's Office and from there come to Rajagiriya town.
What the Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr. Amarasiri Senaratna had said was as it was the first day such a situation was to be seen things could be seen coming back to normal in the next few days.