By Shabana Ibrahim
Private bus drivers must be issued with a certificate of competence after undergoing training at the divisional CTB and be required to carry the certificate along with the driving licence, a high-ranking Police officer has proposed in a report, "Statistical Analysis Towards Reduction of Road Accidents", he has compiled and presented to IGP T. E. Anandarajah last week.

Director, Police Statistics Division, SSP Lalith Lekamge, has made a series of proposals to reduce the number of road accidents. He has also suggested that a system be evolved to collect driving licences of people at their demises, to prevent misuse.

From January to June this year 1,119 deaths have resulted from 1,037 accidents. Pedestrians and passengers continue to be the most frequent victims. A total of 7,846 pedestrians and 6,649 passengers have been victims in 2001.

He has also recommended the following proposals to bring about a reduction in road accidents:

• A data base of serious traffic offenders must be maintained at the Traffic Headquarters. The data should be available to judges at the time of judgement. The data may be made available to employers of drivers and insurance companies for a nominal fee.

• Three-wheeler and private bus drivers need to be made aware of the need to adhere to traffic rules.

• Pedestrians need to be educated about the dangers of "Jay walking" and warned to be watchful between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

• Severe action must be taken against traffic offenders and sufficient publicity given to the punishments. This will have a two-fold advantage of punishing the offenders and to informing the public that justice is being done thereby inducing the public to refrain from resorting to their own system of justice at scenes of accidents.

SSP Lekamge has stated that "the frustration in the public is understandable. However the beating of a traffic offender by the public is unacceptable and is a concern for the law-enforcing authority." He further suggested.

Strategy of highlighting certain obvious traffic violations and enforcing them relentlessly for a long period of time to deter motorists from continuing the bad habits.

A system must be developed to entrust a police officer in mufti to travel in public transport and to observe any infringements of traffic laws. The offender may be warned or brought to book, he said.

SSP Lekamge hopes that these reforms will ensure that stringent laws are enforced and obeyed.