To Let The Air In - 964 Words

To Let The Air In The empowerment and the persistent drive for equality for women have become vastly common and effective in modern history. Women have exceeded past archaic stereotypical roles of the housewife, the mother and the submissive doormat to more empowering trajectories. Many debatable issues surround women’s campaign of liberties including the broadly debated right to decide who has ultimate say in regards of getting an abortion. Ernest Hemingway wrote a story called, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† that conveyed the viewpoint of females centered around the topic . Well into character’s development the reader sees Jig’s ability to come to her own decision about the procedure and submit to the pressure of a culture controlled by men. The twenties was time of revitalization and expressing one’s true identity. Everyone was seemingly focused on the finer things and indulged in hedonism. True socialites like Hemingway, would move to Europe to experience new culture and gain a new perspective of life. Moving to Europe for Hemingway was a renaissance; in essence, he was able to unleash new writing potential and began to become a renowned author. In the midst of his escalation of fame, Hemingway’s wife became pregnant (Ernest Hemingway Biography n. pag.). Unfortunately, due to the fast-paced lifestyle of the Hemingways this celebratory moment was thought of as a nuisance. Hemingway was beginning to become the famous author he dreamed of becoming and a babyShow MoreRelatedRonald Reag My Hero866 Words   |  4 Pagesthat he did while not in office. Some of the things that were very important examples of him being a hero are when the air traffic controllers went on strike, when he made movements against the communists in Europe, and the greatest of all his achievements when he told the USSR dictator to tear down the Berlin wall. Let s talk about the first example. During his presidency the air traffic controllers want a raise, and because the government was not going to give them one they went on strike. ImmediatelyRead MoreThe Process of an Internal Combustion Engine958 Words   |  4 Pagesand not an easy concept to grasp. Air, fuel, spark, and combustion are the premise of an internal combustion engine. A simplistic view on an internal combustion engine is outlined below. The first step in an internal combustion engine is to acquire all the attributes to create combustion in a chamber. The necessary air flows through the air filter (usually a conical shaped, micro filament, located in either the front right or left of the engine bay). After the air is sucked into the filter it passesRead MoreEssay on The Process Of An Internal Combustion Engine939 Words   |  4 Pagesand not an easy concept to grasp. Air, fuel, spark, and combustion are the premise of an internal combustion engine. A simplistic view on an internal combustion engine is outlined below. The first step in an internal combustion engine is to acquire all the attributes to create combustion in a chamber. The necessary air flows through the air filter (usually a conical shaped, micro filament, located in either the front right or left of the engine bay). After the air is sucked into the filter it passesRead MoreDesigning A Custom Paint At A New Gun Shop1548 Words   |  7 Pagesthe best effects was to paint the gun using a gravity feed air brush. When I tried to procure an air brush to complete this project a problem occurred in the shipping. Somewhere along the route my air brush kit was misplaced and was unable to be found. This meant that I had to perform the paint job using spray cans and masking tape. Although this is a valid option and many people have chosen this as their favorite method, I think that the air brush makes a higher quality result. With no other optionsRead MoreThe Effects Of Global Warming On The Planet879 Words   |  4 PagesEvery place becom es warmer because people always do the things that would damage the planet. For example the people usually use the air conditioner, this would discharge a lot of greenhouse air. That is too late to save it from complete destruction when climate change has damaged the planet beyond repair. Global warming is caused by the factory and cars always discharge CO2. ’ Global warming is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere—which acts as a blanket, trappingRead More Physics of Skydiving Essay1361 Words   |  6 Pagesbody that the majority of the human population is affected by is the planet earth. The gravitational acceleration produced from earth is approximately 9.8 m/s^2, which changes slightly as you move closer to or away from the earths center of mass. Lets examine an instance for which a person named Joe prepairs for his first skydiving experience. Joe gets on a plane with an instructor and heads towards the sky. First off, while Joe is in the plane, he does not constantly accelerate downward, assumingRead MoreWhat Causes Air Pollution And What Effect Does It Have On Us Essay924 Words   |  4 PagesTOPIC: What causes air pollution and what effect does it have on us. SPECIFIC PURPOSE: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able to understand what is air pollution, what causes air pollution and what effect does it have on us. INTRODUCTION: What is air? That is the answer I want you to ask yourself. Air is an essential thing we need in our life. It is the most important thing in our life. Compare to food and water, air would be first because without air we would die instantly, withoutRead MoreEssay On Energy Efficient Windows852 Words   |  4 PagesEnergy Efficient Windows: The First Step In Your Fight Against Indoor Air-Pollution According to the Environmental Protection Agency, your home may be two to five times more polluted than the air outside of it, which is a scary thought. Whether your home is in the country or city, the air your family is breathing may not be healthy. One possible and relatively simple solution may be to replace your windows, but theres even more you can do to protect your family. The Problem Of Indoor PollutionRead MoreEssay On How To Create A Prerrant Household820 Words   |  4 Pageswith some excellent tips on how to create a fragrant household to be proud of! 1. Stove Simmers This is an old school trick that has stood the test of time. Throw slices of citrus and your favourite herbs in a small saucepan of simmering water and let the smell take over your home. 2. Strategic Candles Scented candles are the key to a delicious smelling home and the fact that they come in so many varieties makes life easier. You can choose dedicated scents for each room and strategically placeRead MoreExplore the Ups Website1502 Words   |  7 Pagescustomer to track packages and freights with services like Quantum view, UPS my choice, Flex global view and Void a shipment. †¢ Freight – Services for freight are Critical Freight, Air Freight, Ocean Freight, LTL (Less then truckload) and Trucking (Full truckload), and UPS Cross border connect. †¢ The website lets customers order supplies online. †¢ UPS Communication via E-mail – The website has features like New product announcements/enhancements, promotions and offers, newsletters, and service

Human Rights Issues in Malaysia Essay - 1293 Words

Human rights violations occur on a daily basis in Malaysia. Recently, according to the Associated Press in an article published in The Hindu, an estimated 25,000 protestors rallied on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, demanding electoral reforms prior to the next national polls (Associted Press, 2012). Police fired â€Å"tear gas and water laced with stinging chemicals† into the crowd of protestors as retaliation to violation of pre-set barriers by the protestors (Associted Press, 2012). However, prior to that, there were several hours of peaceful protest. Authorities stated that the demonstrators had no right to use Independent Square, â€Å"a symbolically important venue that hosts parades and high-profile celebrations† as their protest†¦show more content†¦The government forcibly controls human rights of Malaysian citizens. The International Security Act â€Å"permits indefinite detention without charge or trial of any person that officials deem a threat to national security or public order† (Human Rights Watch, 2012). Numerous accounts of violations of freedom of expression and rights to public assembly, guaranteed by the Malaysian Constitution, persist. Media censorship continues as solely the minister of home affairs, without judicial review, can refuse publication of any media. There is continued infringement of sexual orientation and gender identity rights and although the Malaysia’s constitution protects religious freedom for all there are cases of biased treatment to religious minorities (Human Rights Watch, 2012). Not only does the Malaysian government compulsorily manage its citizen’s human rights, they also direct the rights of migrants as well. Continued human rights violations have also influence Indonesian and Malaysian labor relations. The current labor agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia does not protect minimum wage of Indonesian recruits nor does it limit recruitment fee structures. Often, Indonesian domestic workers hand over several months’ salaries to pay recruitment fees resulting in Malaysian government freedom of movement restrictions in an attempt to deter flight from unpaid debts (Human Rights Watch, 2011). The MalaysiasShow MoreRelatedHuman Rights And International Law1078 Words   |  5 Pagesthe issues that happened surround ASEAN, particularly to Human Rights and International law issues. With regards to human right issues, the question is whether the ASEAN way is still working or ASEAN should start moving and interfere when the issue involves Human Right. This chapter will study how ASEAN state members solve problems when in relations to Human Rights and International law. It will discuss whether ASEAN can provide solutions on these problems or active passively on these issues. 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Meanwhile, Malaysia is still a developing country where it’s GDP(10,000USD) is compared to Singapore’s 55,000 USD, which is nearly five times that of Malaysia. Such difference between two countries also can be seen in their corruption rateRead MoreThe Differences between Malaysias Leading Newspapers1732 Words   |  7 Pagesdetermining what materials are included in the publications. The Star newspaper acts as a medium to spread political opinions and ideologies of the MCA (its owner) besides highlighting issues in relation to the said party. For example, ‘MCA plans SME one stop centre’ that was printed on the 16th of March 2010 highlights issues concerning the party. Often, The Star portrays the MCA in a positive light with pictures visualising them giving aid to victims of theft and abuse thus, prioritizing the image ofRead MorePalm oil stalemate: who is responsible? Essay959 Words   |  4 PagesPalm oil stalemate: who is responsi ble? Summary ïÆ' ¼ Palm oil is a plant with various uses in human life (such as: tooth paste, Moisturizer and biodiesel). ïÆ' ¼ Malaysia is one of the largest producers and exporters of palm oil. ïÆ' ¼ Gajah Berang Oil Palm Estate is one of the largest multinational palm oil conglomerates whose managers offer a balance between efficiency and employee satisfaction. ïÆ' ¼ The company has multicultural employee since its workers from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and BangladeshRead MoreHomosexuality in Malaysia1248 Words   |  5 PagesISSUES RELATED TO HOMOSEXUALITY IN MALAYSIA Recently, there are many issues about homosexuality had occurred. For example â€Å"Seksualiti Merdeka† or Sexuality Independence. Seksualiti Merdeka is an annual sexuality rights festival held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It features a programme of talks, forums, workshops, art, theatre and music performances, interactive installations, and film screenings, organised by a coalition of Malaysian NGOs, artists and individuals. Its aims are to affirm sexualityRead MoreStrategic Planning Model for Homeless Shelter1038 Words   |  5 PagesBackground of Organization Help Everyone Malaysia (â€Å"HEM†) was established in 1990 as a non-profit organization which is fully supported by the Malaysian Women, Family and Community Development Ministry. Its management consists of five former Malaysian government senior officers previously working under various social groups in Malaysia with staff strength of 20 full-time administrative staffs supported by another 50 part-time volunteers. HEM plans to provide supports and services annually to approximatelyRead MoreThe Prevalence of Racial Tension Around the World1025 Words   |  5 PagesToday, there is racial tension all around the world. Racial tension means the feeling that exists when people do not trust and be aggressive to each other. In Malaysia, racial tension has deepened recently. The Indian government has released an advisory for its foreign students that studying in Australia which showed that racial tension appeared around the White and Indian. Racial tension between the Han and Uighur communities in Xinjiang, China was enhanced in July 2009. There are several factorsRead MoreChild Labor: Abuse and Maltreatment of Children888 Words   |  4 Pagesemployment of children where they are used as tools and obligated to perform various types of work such as manufacture, construction, domestic servants, carpet weaving, agriculture, etc. Child labor was once an issue that has been ignored, but now it has become a major issue worldwide. There are different forms of child labor: child prostitution, begging, child soldiers, domestic servants, etc. Approximately 211 million children from five through 14 years old are involved in childRead MoreLeadership Analysis of Antony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia1698 Words   |  7 Pagesgeneral functioning of the organization. In reference to AirAsia, Tony Fernandes together with other board of directors and the involvement of employees came up with a strategy that brought the company to its present level. Tonys ability to address all issues pertaining to the governance of the organization in the strategy plan is in itself marvelous. The strategy included many factors of successful management and decision-making (Airasia Berhad, 2006). The strategy contained a mission, which clearly

Freedom In Constitution Essay Example For Students

Freedom In Constitution Essay Have you ever wondered what life at school would be like withoutfreedom? In myopinion I think it would be horrid. Think about it. If wehad no freedom we wouldnt be able to do the things we love most, or choosewhat friends we hang out with. The freedoms we have now we all take for granted. For example, do you even know what your freedoms are? If you dont, then youought to hear me out so you know in the future what they mean. First of allthere are two very specific freedoms that all students and teachers should knowand understand. These two freedoms are the very basis for our society. 1)FREEDOMOF SPEECH Freedom of speech is one of the most important freedoms we havebecause if we didnt have this one we wouldnt be able to speak our mindsthrough speeches in public. This freedom allows us to speak in more ways thanone. It allows us to express ourselves through reading, writing, and speaking. Although freedom of speech has its greatness in many ways, it also has adownfall, in which it is abused. For example: Media today can twist this freedomto invade your privacy, which is not a good thing if youre ArnoldShwartzenegger getting out of the shower, and someone takes a picture of younaked and prints it in the local paper. But most of the time this sineriodoesnt occur because theyve come up with laws like the Privacy Act,and so on so this sort of mayhem doesnt happen, but even though laws are madepeople still break them. 2)FREEDOM OF RELIGION This freedom goes along withfreedom of speech yet stands alone in its own category. There are many ways tolook at this freedom. It has as many goods as it does bads. You just have tolearn how to apply it to you. First Ill list the goods. The gains of thisfreedom allow you not only to speak your own opinions, but allows you to take ita step further. Example: Lets say you are a Christian, but go to a school whereChristianity is looked down upon. Now lets say you have some friends that alsoattend this school and want to have a lunchtime bible study, but are afraid thatthe school may suspend you or even worse. Well, it says in the constitution, therules and regulations our country is based upon, that students may have a biblestudy in and on school premises as long as it is student led. Teachers may evenattend, but cannot participate in the function. This is where a lot can go wrongand things get turned upside down. This is also where some of the bads come intoplay. This freedom is more a rightstricken than abused law. In other wordsits more denied than abused. An example of this was written by Rebecca Jonesfrom the American Schoolboard Journal. She wrote, Lillian Gobits VsMinersville District, in 1940 led some West Virginians to punish JehovahsWitnesses who refuse to have their children recite the Pledge of Allegiance inschool. The Witnesses, she wrote, Were actually herded together and fedcastor oil, stripped of their clothes, and forced to walk through town.(Jones 2) Well, about three years later the supreme court reversed itself andruled that schools could not require the pledge. Its this kind of abuse thatturns people away from religion in my opinion. Nothing is more challenging thanconfronting a well-established myth. A myth, repeated often enough that it takesa hold on peoples imaginations and is all but impossible to get rid of. One suchmyth is that when it comes to religion in public schools, people For and Againstschool prayer are engaged in the legal equivalent of Hand-to-hand combat, oneside fighting to put God in schools, and the other desperately trying to keephim out. Unfortunately, parents, schools officials, and politicians alikesometimes act as if the myth were fact. Some people ag-on this myth withwell-intentioned, but simply wrong statements about what the constitution doesand does not permit. House speaker Newt Gingrich, for example, announced a whileback that under current la w students could not pray in the schools cafeteria. .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 , .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .postImageUrl , .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 , .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:hover , .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:visited , .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:active { border:0!important; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:active , .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05 .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7b146148f4c5480d5310d83295555a05:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nelson Mandela EssayAlso, teachers believing this outlandish myth have sometimes refused to accepthomework with religious content. Some schools mistakenly support some segmentsof the religious community when they permit (unconstitutional) state-sponsoredprayer, such as allowing coaches to pray with their teams, as long as theyexcuse students who do not want to pray. Or, another example is where a schoolexcludes all religious activity period. As much in this media age, perceptionovercasts reality. Matters on which there is no dissagreement in the courts and,equally important in the thinking of church and civil groups, have too oftenescalated into open conflict because paren ts, the public, and school officialssimply dont know what the law provides. Schools have been distracted fromtheir educational mission and forced to endure unnecessary debates overreligious issues. Our society as a whole is depicted as being boiled in anendless culture war over public education. As our courts have reaffirmed,nothing in the 1st amendment converts our public schools into religious-freezones, or require that all religious expression to be left behind at theschools house door. Religious freedom is perhaps the most precious of allAmerican libertiescalled by many our First freedom. (clinton 20-22) TheConstitution protects expression by students of their religious beliefs throughreports, homework, and art work. (Stern 6-8) If you really think about it, wereally have it easy, because all we actually do is take them for granted untilsomeone tries to either take them away or abuses them, then we get mad about it. A long time ago teachers and students were limited by a strict theme of rulesand guidelines, but today we have a new challenge. One to carry on generationafter generation. Our freedom to speak out against wrong doing and our freedomto live a normal happy life. In my opinion If you dont have freedom whatdo you have.

Traffic Congestion in Sri Lanka Essay Example

Traffic Congestion in Sri Lanka Essay The purpose of this report is to analyse the traffic problem in the Colombo city and to identify the causes of the problem and offer recommendations in improving the traffic system in order to have an effective traffic management in Sri Lanka. In this, the reason for traffic congestion and draw backs of the current system has been identified. A SWOT analysis has been done on the traffic board in order to assess the compatibility of the proposed system. The city of London in England has being selected as the benchmarking country due to its excellent traffic management and transport system. The report provides short term and long term recommendations for the implementation of the most effective system which will help to reduce the Traffic congestion currently experienced in the city of Colombo. 1. Introduction Roads are extremely important for the large majority of Sri Lanka’s people who live in the villages some 65 percent of the country’s population. They are often the only way for most rural people to reach essential services such as hospitals, schools, markets, and banks, which are mostly situated far from their villages. Although Sri Lanka enjoys a higher road density than in many developing countries, the conditions and standards of the roads are inadequate to meet rapidly growing freight and passenger traffic. More than 50% of the national roads have poor or very poor surface condition and many are seriously congested. In spite of the substantial increase in traffic volume there have been insufficient investments for construction of new highways or widening and improving existing roads. Over the past decade the investment in the road sector has been mainly concentrated on the rehabilitation of the existing road network. We will write a custom essay sample on Traffic Congestion in Sri Lanka specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Traffic Congestion in Sri Lanka specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Traffic Congestion in Sri Lanka specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Traffic congestion is the build up of traffic preventing efficient movement and it is one of the most significant problems faced in modern cities today. In every developed city all over the world, it is a common site that vehicles queued up for hours during the rush hour periods. This wastes valuable time of the public, burns fuel unnecessarily, pollutes the environment and by all these effects a country’s development. 2. Discussion 1. Analysis of the current situation In Sri Lanka, all economic, administrative and commercial functions are concentrated in Colombo. Furthermore Colombo is easily the largest city in the country and is offering better education and health facilities for the citizens. Furthermore it’s political and commercial significance results in a greater attraction of the city for people from the rest of the country further aggravating the traffic problem in the country’s capital. Though the number of people entering Colombo during the past decade had dropped, the number of vehicles has increased which shows that people have shifted from public transportation to public vehicles. According to estimates Colombo is attracting 1. million people on weekdays. These people are coming to the city for various purposes including employment, for commercial activities, attend educational institutions, attend medical requirements etc. Whilst 1. 1 million of the people arrive in Colombo using public transport the rest 500,000 people are using about 240,000 private vehicles. (http://www. buildsrilanka. com) This is in addition to the vehicles used by the Colombo’s residents most of whom are from the country’s richer community and most of the time can afford to have their own transport. The recent reduction in import duties of vehicles will further increase the buying power of cars and will result in more vehicles being flooded to the Colombo city. 2. Gap Analysis Several reasons contribute to the current traffic problems in Colombo. This includes the huge number of vehicles entering Colombo, shortage of parking areas, Inadequate facilities for pedestrians, vehicles parked on busy roads even during the morning and afternoon rush hours and finally the fact of public transport facilities is far from being good etc. All these factors contribute to the slowing down of the average speed of the vehicles travelling in Colombo and eventually slow down the speed of the economic growth of Sri Lanka. National highways, which are mostly two-lane, are unable to carry the current volume of mixed traffic (pedestrians, bikes, bullock-pulled-vehicles and motor vehicles). This, together with the lack of side lanes and paved shoulders, leads to uncontrolled development of roadsides and causes low travel speeds, poor level of service, and less long-distance traffic. 3. SWOT analysis Strengths Sri Lanka’s  literacy rate is high compared to other Asian nations and it will be easy to introduce and implement traffic rules. ? More money can be invested as the expenditure on war, can be minimised now that the war is over. ? Sri Lanka has been identified as investment hub, so lot foreign investors are interested in investing in SL. ? One of the main objectives of the present  government  is to develop  i nfrastructure Weaknesses ? Disobedient and careless drivers contributes to the traffic congestion. ? Inadequate public transport system to substitute the private transport. Lack of technology to implement new systems. ? Lack of regard for road rules culture (self first culture) ? Bribery and corruption ? Misallocation of funds ? Shortage of road space Opportunities ? Fewer vehicles on the road will increase the traffic speed. ? Bare lands can be used as car parks Threats ? Corruption by the law enforcement officers ? High level of Union intervention 4. Implications of Traffic congestion Due to the traffic congestion, the movement of vehicles in the Colombo have slowed down resulting in huge losses to businesses. Slow movement of vehicles causes higher running costs for the driver and that is a loss to the national economy as well as the hours spent on the road could have being used for the development on the country. Road transportation in a developing country is considered a vital pre-requisite in economic development. Provision of reliable transport facility for easy mobility of people and goods stimulates economic growth. A recent survey has found that the loss to Sri Lankan economy due to traffic congestion in the Colombo city alone is more than Rs 30 billion per year. This is 2% of the value of entire economic activities in Colombo city. http://www. buildsrilanka. com) The loss to the economy includes fuel wastage and loss of labour. Air pollution is another effect of the traffic congestion. A good road transportation system in the capital will help to improve educational, health and social standards of the people. Also improved transport infrastructure will enhance communication facili ties and improve economic and social standards of the people. [pic] 5. Steps taken by the government As mentioned earlier traffic congestion is always a huge problem for any government and it is obvious that the Sri Lankan government has taken steps to minimise the traffic congestion. Out of these one of the important actions taken by the government is the introduction of the Motor traffic act which has helped to ease the traffic problem to some extent. Some amendments were done to this act and severe penalties were introduced in 2009. This was to bring down the level of accidents as well as vehicles that are not roadworthy entering the Colombo and other cities. 3. Benchmarking Congestion pricing a system successfully adopted by England will be proposed as a solution to the traffic congestion in Colombo. [pic] 1. What is Congestion Pricing? This is a simple economic tool that will both help control congestion on a continuing basis and will also provide a regular, dedicated source of funds for public transportation subsidies. Its greatest proponent is Red Ken a former Labour Party Mayor of London. The congestion charging system that he put in place in 2003, amidst opposition reduced traffic by 20 percent. London no longer appears in the most congested lists. The purpose of congestion pricing is to use price to control congestion. Those who use roads at peak times have to pay for the privilege. Charging brands can be introduced for peak and off peak hours like in Telecom. To use Galle Road from Ratmalana to the Fort Between 7 a. m. and 09 a. m. = 100 rupees Between 9 a. m. and 12 noon = 50 rupees. Between 8 p. m. and 07 a. m. = No charge The money can be invested in a fund for road development and subsidies for public transport; but its primary purpose is to make people take public transport or share vehicles and leave their cars at home, unless essential. Congestion pricing works best when a city has good, but underused, public transport. At the moment Colombo does not. But that does not mean that congestion pricing cannot be used in Colombo. Public transport can be exempted from being charged, so it will be an encouragement for private bus operators and if they are also charged a fee they might take steps to charge it back to the passengers, eventually resulting in some of the passengers going back to driving their private vehicles. The mechanism for charging the congestion price in a way that does not cause additional congestion has to be implemented but congestion pricing will be unpopular at first and cannot be implemented in a matter of months. The key to its success in Sri Lanka is that money that is raised is not wasted and that it is used to create immediately visible improvements in public transport. Also this technique requires the use of information and communication technologies. More than anything, this new policy instrument and its benefits have to be explained over and over again to the people. For that, we need a Red Ken. But it is interesting to see whether we can have a new mayor first and the new mayor will play the role of Red Ken and take Colombo to the same lengths that Red Ken has taken the London city to. . 2 How this will improve traffic movement in Colombo By adopting this strategy it can be expected that the private vehicles entering Colombo will reduce be to 125000 from 175000 by the end of next year. This will improve traffic speed by 50% and the impact of air pollution by half. [pic] 4. Action Plans Since more vehicles will be flooded in to the roads of Colombo in the coming years and the existing n etwork is not even sufficient even to cater the current demands, upgrading, modernising and expanding the transport sector is a must. 4. Short-term measures: Short-term is regarded as a period of less than six (6) months. ? Both near-sides of main roads in many areas in Colombo city and suburbs are not built-up, not tarred and are not laid with pavements. Therefore, the natural tendency of the pedestrian is to walk on the tarred surface of the road, thereby restricting the area meant for vehicular traffic. During the rainy season, matters become worse as both sides of the roads get muddy e. g. High Level Road, Nugegoda-Nawala-Narahenpita Road, Colombo-Kandy Road, Nugegoda-Rajagiriya Road etc. If action could be taken to build-up both sides of such roads and enclose those areas with bold white lines, the road area usable by vehicular traffic without let or hindrance can be increased. However, parking of motor vehicles should not be allowed in such restricted side-walks. ? Pedestrian crossings at regular intervals should be prominently marked and crossing of roads by pedestrians be permitted only at those points. Police should be directed to fine pedestrians who flout this rule. This step would remove one of the artificial impediments created for the free flow of vehicular traffic. All the roads should be properly done-up and maintained regularly devoid of pot-holes and other surface damages that hinder the fast free flow of vehicular traffic. This step will also prevent many road accidents caused due to the dilapidated conditions of the roads. ? The heaviest congestions are created at centre-points such as junctions and main cross-roads. This occurs because omnibuses and l orries haphazardly being parked for longer periods without observing any road rules whatsoever. Furthermore there are some busy roads in the city and suburbs where parking of vehicles on either side of the road in permitted. This arrangement contributes to congestion thus becoming an impediment to the free flow of vehicular traffic. In order to overcome this problem, safe parking lots should be established at major points wherever extra bare land is available. ? The relevant authorities such as local government and Police must immediately remove all encroachments to the pavements by the shopkeepers and hawkers. This step will enable the pedestrians to freely utilize pavements, allowing more unrestricted road space for vehicular traffic. ? The presence of large container vehicles during the daytime between 6. 00 a. m. and 7. 0 p. m. on the already congested roads in the city and suburbs creates not only huge traffic jams but also causes severe accidents at overtaking. Steps have to be taken to prohibit this traffic from the Colombo metropolitan area during the above mentioned times. This is the usual practice followed by many countries in order to ease traffic congestion. ? There are many crossroads in th e city and suburbs where no traffic signals are installed, resulting in unwanted traffic jams being formed causing delays. Hence, action must be taken to install traffic signals at all crossroads in the city and suburbs. 4. Long term strategies: Long term shall extend beyond a period of six months and go up to three years. ? All the roads in the city and suburbs should be planned in advance and constructed with a minimum number of curves, zigzags and detours, etc. , covering a shorter distance thus consuming less land space. Nevertheless, they should be wide enough to allow free flow of vehicular traffic. They must be constructed in such a manner (may be even concreted) requiring minimum regular maintenance and capable of withstanding the vagaries of nature. Wherever possible, more new wider roads should be constructed and use them only as one-way roads. This step would ensure less traffic congestion on major roads and minimize the rate of road accidents. ? The Colombo city and suburbs becomes inundated during the rainy seasons in Sri Lanka constitutes another major reason for the traffic problem. Since rainy seasons seem to get prolonged annually in Sri Lanka, a permanent solution to this problem should be found. With a view to bring about an everlasting solution to this problem, more natural water receptacles and artificial built-in water receptacles in the city and suburbs should be constructed in order to hold excessive supply of water. Sky bridges can be constructed in the metropolitan areas in order to divert fast-moving motor traffic from already congested business centres. But it is assumed that these types of ventures will cost Sri Lanka a colossal amount of financial resources and it is not affordable. All capital cities in Indian states have sky bridges. In developed countries, when a bridge is planned to be built, its wid th is measured as nearly twice that of the existing road. Such pro-action is prevalent in those countries in contrast to Sri Lanka, where even the newly built bridges seem to be narrower than the existing road. Some bridges constructed in Colombo and suburbs many years back create bottle-necks in the free-flow of vehicular traffic, because these bridges are narrower than the respective roads. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, improving the traffic congestion in Colombo is a part and parcel of the total nation economic and social development endeavours of the country. Even though the present traffic situation is accepted and taken for granted, little do we realize that it is one of the main causes to hinder the productivity and the level of efficiency of the country’s economic development. Recommendations such as improving transport and infrastructure facilities and monitoring road rules and regulations are the main drives for change. Apart from this a change of mind set is also necessary to make this project a success. Unless these approaches are followed no future goliath or a patriot will be able turn this tide of destruction taking place at present in the name of development in all spheres. 6. 0 Recommendations After analysing the above facts it is highly recommended to carry out the following tasks in the near future. ? Build up both sides of the damaged roads and regularly maintained. Pedestrian crossings to be marked and strict action against pedestrians who disobey the road rules. ? Steps have to be taken to build parking lots to reduce vehicles parking on the sides of the main roads. ? Installing traffic lights at all the main junctions and regular maintenance of the existing ones. ? Improving the public transport system. Also the following is recommended as l ong term measures. ? All the roads in the city should be properly planned and should be wide enough for the free flow of vehicles. ? Sky bridges should be constructed in the city area. Proper drainage systems to be installed in the city and its suburbs. 6. References Transport Requirement for Colombo. [n. d]. Retrieved from buildsrilanka. com web site: http://www. buildsrilanka. com/cdp/17_Transport%20requirements%20for%20Colombo. htm Philips, R. (2006, August 27). The way out of traffic congestion is not Roadway but Railway. Sunday Observer. Retrieved from http://www. sundayobserver. lk/2006/08/27/fea07. asp Sri Lanka Police Service. [n. d. ]. Retrieved from Sri Lanka Police web site: http://www. police. lk/index. asp Easing the traffic congestion (2009 August), LMD, p. 67