Traffic is Colombo’s biggest bugbear, with close to 100,000 vehicles entering the city on any given weekday. This creates huge traffic jams in the morning and evening rush hours, pollutes the air with noxious gases and particles, wastes man hours and fuel, congests the available parking spaces, raises tempers all around and leads to a massive economic loss estimated at Rs.1 billion per year.
This is clearly a situation that we cannot afford in the long term. The worst part is that more than 80 percent of the private cars entering Colombo have only one person. This is a terrible waste of fuel and road/parking space. Furthermore, private buses, three wheelers and motorcycles/scooters with their law-defying antics make the traffic problems even worse.
Those who live in and around Colombo have identified three traffic-clogged slots – in local parlance they say school time (6-7.30 am), office time (7.30-9 am) and shopping time (9.30 am onwards especially during festive seasons). School vans and private cars that take children to schools clog the roads of Colombo in the earliest slot. If a particular school has 2,000 students, at least 1,500 will use private cars, compounding the traffic problem.
When we were schooling, there were plenty of school buses, which now seem to have faded away. The school bus culture should be introduced again. After all, in most developed countries all children, rich or poor, travel by school bus for which there are strict safeguards in terms of traffic and on-board safety.
But the biggest problem for office-bound workers seems to be the lack of proper public transport. Sadly, successive governments have neglected the development of public transport. Hence everyone is compelled to use some form of private transport. The existing buses and trains are jam-packed, with standing room only in most instances. They are also uncomfortable, unclean and not punctual. After all, why suffer like sardines in stuffed cans when you can travel in air-conditioned comfort? Even a rickety three wheeler seems to be a better option than a bus during rush hour.
This is why the development of public transport is an essential first step to reduce traffic congestion. In this context, the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) and electric trains on the main lines will be a step in the right direction. These will be punctual, comfortable, fast, clean alternatives to the private vehicle. If the LRT can take away at least 1,000 cars off the streets during rush hours, it would be a great achievement.
This brings us to the proposal to levy a fee from private cars entering Colombo, which has been in the air for some time. The Ministry of Passenger Transport Management said that the aim behind this would be to reduce the excessive flow of vehicular traffic into Colombo.
The Ministry points out that, since the vehicular traffic within Colombo seems to be on the rise each day, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the traffic. The Ministry notes that this is detrimental to the environment as well.
Taking these matters into consideration, attention has been drawn towards categorizing vehicles and charging a toll from each vehicle that enters Colombo.
This has often been cited as a way of controlling the traffic that enters Colombo. This has to be an electronic toll collection system with dynamic pricing (Called ERP – Electronic Road Pricing) and exceptions will probably have to be made for public transport, ride sharing/taxi services, commercial vehicles that bring in essential goods, emergency vehicles, Armed Forces, Police and certain categories of Government vehicles, vehicles used by the disabled and if possible, electric vehicles. Weekends and holidays should, of course, be free.
This is often practised in other countries, both developing and developed. London’s congestion charge is perhaps the most well-known, though electric vehicles, motorcycles and scooters are exempted.
In London, signing up for Congestion Charge Auto Pay will mean users pay £10.50. If they pay in advance, or by midnight on the day of the visit, it will set the driver back £11.50. But if they wait until midnight the next day, the full £14 is payable. Note that London also has a new, separate £12.50 charge for vehicles that do not meet current emissions standards. However, motorists here cannot afford to pay Rs.3,000 per visit, so the authorities will have to decide on a much more affordable fee taking into consideration local income levels and purchasing power.
Here is the relevant advice from the Singapore Government authority in charge of ERP: “ERP is used to manage road congestion in Singapore. Drivers will incur ERP charges when passing through ERP gantries during its operational hours. To avoid incurring ERP charges, motorists can consider using alternative routes, travelling outside ERP operational hours, or taking public transport instead of driving. ERP rates are reviewed every quarter and adjusted during the June and December school holidays, based on the traffic conditions at the time. ERP rates are generally set in half-hour periods.
ERP rates are adjusted to keep traffic moving at an optimal speed range of 20-30 Kmph on arterial roads and 45-65 Kmph on expressways. The ERP charge you pay depends on: The type of your vehicle. Bigger vehicle types pay more; The time you enter the ERP gantry; During peak hours, charges can change every half hour to help spread traffic flow over a longer period.”
In the USA, New York is about to become the first city to levy a congestion charge from 2020 or 2021. The tolling zone will cover the southern part of the Manhattan island, starting at 60th Street. Vehicles will be charged a flat rate upon entering the area—it is likely to be between $11 and $14 for cars—but the fee could vary depending on the time of the day. Most of the expected $15 billion revenue through 2024 will help finance public transit improvements. It looks like the system will essentially replicate or expand the current E-ZPass toll system already used on New York’s roads, bridges, and tunnels.
There will be a wider debate in the media and in society about the proposed charge for Colombo, but it will be more effective if shuttle services can be provided to motorists who do not wish to pay the charge and enter the city. This could create a parking nightmare in the outskirts of the city. Our planners should also take into account changing travelling patterns as more people are opting for ride sharing services over private cars. They should also study the systems already used in other countries (as above examples show) to learn any relevant lessons before implementing this system here.