I am prompted to write this letter to you having noted your action re the fines for parking violators and the media comments on the issue.
I do not think I have to introduce this Road to you as you and your husband were running a very popular Restaurant on this road towards the Horton Place Round-about. I am sure you can see this road, C.W.W Kannangara Mawatha from the window to the East of the Mayor’s Office Room.
To come back to my subject, between the Rosmead Place Junction and the Horton Place Round-about, on the above road, there are today, five eating places namely, Sulthan Palace, Malar Cafe, 668 (Mansa one time), Caravan Fresh and Upali’s by Nawaloka.
According to reliable sources, these restaurants are running the eating-houses without a proper licence. These buildings were at one time residential houses and their conversion to a different use may not have been approved by the CMC/UDA nor any approval obtained for their renovations/refurbishments. In addition, parking on this busy road from one point to the other has virtually deprived the pedestrians using the pavement meant for them.
Special mention has to be made about the two restaurants, namely, Sulthan Palace and Malar Cafe, where there are two very conspicuously installed “No Parking” sign boards kept on either side, but cars are freely parked right on the pavement between the two sign boards covering the road reservation and the pavement, totally blocking pedestrians from walking, and thereby driving them to risk their lives, walking on the main road during busy hours.
Adding insult to injury, sometimes I see two police officers just standing like timid ladies! (I remember you using the same words in Sinhala “gaenu lamai wage Police mahaththuru balagena unna” when describing the passive attitude of the Police at one incident!) At times I have seen the Police Vehicle parked the same way.
You surely may not be having powers to control the Police but you can see what can be done from the CMC’s point of view.
One thing I can suggest is to raise the pavement to a level that vehicles cannot be parked on the road reservation. I saw some machines apparently from the CMC cutting down branches of the two kumbuk trees at this place a few weeks back but perhaps they have not seen the violation of the traffic laws right under the trees! I would not be surprised if the Cafe owners get the two trees cut down through the CMC on the lame excuse that their roots are affecting the foundation of the buildings! If that is done, the Cafes will have two more parking slots added to the Cafe users, at the expense of the taxpayers.
A CMC tax payer