"President Mahinda Rajapaksa without security and backup vehicles was touring the city of Colombo yesterday to monitor the vehicular conduct of VIPs on the road.
While the President was proceeding towards the Parliament Road, a Minister’s security convoy nearly brushed on the President’s vehicle.
The President told another in his car, “I personally came to see the trouble these VIPs are giving the ordinary people on the road. See how that fellow is driving that convoy nearly hitting me.”
President Rajapaksa last week warned Ministers not to cause problems to the public on the road by driving fast as he got many reports on VIP vehicles hitting innocent people on the road.
The President is likely to continue these sudden routine checks on the road to gather first-hand information on VIP vehicular misconduct in public. Lankapuvath"
In the Sinhala, Silumina of the same day also on the front page it said, "Janadhipathi thumage vahanaya anunamayen beruna" roughly translated means, the unmarked vehicle in which the President was travelling was saved by a whisker from considerable damage.
It is therefore now in the open about the potential and actual damage caused to people and property by this kind of act of over 100 convoys plying the roads.
What may I ask has been done to indemnify the affected todate, and what future steps will be taken to allow justice for the aggrieved. That sadly was lacking in any of the reports, as just telling the errant to behave is not enough, there must be penalties for this type of action, as otherwise the same or worse injury and loss of economic benefit and livelihood would continue as a result.
It is not just enough to become aware of the problem, what action one takes to correct the wrongs is what leadership and good governance is about.
Would like to see the face of the driver/minister who almost banged on MRs vehicle. :P
ReplyDeleteIf it is safe enough for President to travel by himself, why do these VIPs need such convoys? May be the president should create an elite police petrol to nab these fellows as the regular police just stand by side and watch.
ReplyDeletehave we heard the real story behind the story? It is known that MR gets around town in unmarked vehicles all the time for his 'trysts'. This time he managed to turn a tryst! into him going on an investigate VIP vehicles.
ReplyDeleteGet a life readers there is no way MR would waste his time on such a visit as you cannot guarantee a VIP drive by in the short time he is on the road, he just turned a real unexpected situation to his advantage, something he is very adept at doing, and conning the rest of us, because we are so gullible.
Just think about how plausible his explanation is!
Ranjit, you should sue the pants off the government. it would be the best deterrent to ensure that the government be financially responsible for damage incurred. if this incident occurred with one of our government vehicles you would be a very rich man!
ReplyDeletelooks like the monsters he himself allowed to breed are getting out of his own reach...?
ReplyDelete