by Namini Wijedasa
The LTTE yesterday insisted that owners of a private bus which collided with a van on the Jaffna-Kandy A9 highway on Saturday would have to pay Rs. 200,000 as compensation to the family of the seven-year-old boy who was killed.

"The Thamil Eelam Police" are ready to have a discussion with the Private Bus Operators’ Association," said Pulidevan, an LTTE leader speaking from his Kilinochchi office. "But the compensation money has to be given to the family because it lost its beloved."

The ‘LTTE police’ has now heightened vigilance over vehicles plying the section of the A9 highway under its control, Pulidevan said. The ‘LTTE police’ is cracking down on buses and other traffic violating the speed limits. The increased measures came after the police recorded more than 15 accidents in one month alone.

"All over the island, the accident rate is increasing," said Pulidevan. "Here, it’s the same. That’s why the police is taking action."

Buses and other private vehicles often tear across the A9 highway with scant regard to speed limits as low as 30 or 40 km. p.h. The accident last Saturday occurred at Puliyankulam where the speed limit is 40 km. p.h.

The driver, R. Indika Perera, and the bus, owned by a member of the PBOA Kalutara branch, were taken into custody by the LTTE after the accident. The bus had been returning to Kalutara after taking pilgrims to Naga Vihara in Jaffna. The van it collided with was taking civilian passengers to Jaffna.

The driver was subsequently produced before an LTTE "court". The judge ordered a deposit of Rs. 200,000 as surety bail to release the driver and the bus.

The PBOA yesterday sought an appointment with the LTTE to reach a settlement.

"The LTTE has asked us to pay Rs. 200,000 as bail," observed Gemunu Wijeyeratne, PBOA president. "That is too much. The private bus owner who went to Kilinochchi has returned without the driver."

Wijeyeratne said he had contacted the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission but had received no response.

"It is not really a violation of anything," said Pierre Ellison, SLMM acting press officer. "It’s a general traffic accident."

He said, however, that the SLMM had received an appeal from the PBOA to intervene in the matter and that it was concerned about the incident. No decision had been taken by the SLMM up to yesterday in this regard.

"There is nothing new from our side," Ellison said.