Even ministers hate the Rajagiriya traffic

Colombo (News1st) - The current Government has come under fire from many sections over various issues including corruption, fraud, lack of transparency and lack of development projects. There are only two projects that the Government uses on a daily basis to protect against criticism from complaints regarding the lack of development projects, one in the yet to be completed controversial Central Expressway, while the other is the Rajagiriya flyover which was heralded as a solution to easing the traffic situation on the route which runs from Malabe to Colombo. However the upon close inspection we have been able to see that the traffic situation along the route during rush-hour has not improved. So it is easy for a question to arise, was this project implemented to appease someone's need or simply to provide a kickback or commission to someone else? The original plan for the flyover was much larger than what we see today. It was supposed to extend further from both ends, however, with an election approaching at that time and nothing to show for their time in power, the Government decided to shorten the project and declare it open. The flyover which was constructed with the support of the Spanish Government has failed to eliminate bottlenecks on the route which continue to cause traffic. The Government which is drastically attempting to cut down on their Dollar spending has failed to realize that this is one of the major locations where fuel, the most costly import to Sri Lanka, is being wasted. It is in this backdrop that we see the current cabinet minister of Education riding on a motorbike headed towards Battaramulla, without a helmet in a slight drizzle. Why you may ask, simply to avoid the traffic. It is common knowledge in Sri Lanka that a bike is the best way to get around traffic in Colombo. The belief is strengthened even further when you see a cabinet minister ditching his police escorts and backup vehicles to ride helmetless on a motorbike to save time.