Rohan Samarajiva presents at seminar on national transport policy

Posted on July 27, 2009 / 4 Comments

Rohan Samarajiva made a presentation entitled, “Improving transport and transportation policy: lessons from telecom” at the recently concluded Seminar on the Draft National Transport Policy of the Ministry of Transport. Held on 23rd of July, the seminar was organized by the Pathfinder Foundation in collaboration with The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Drawing on the similarities between the telecom and transport sector, including opportunities for private sector participation and availability of new technologies for market structure transformation in both sectors, he stated that while telecom sector has flourished under market reforms, the transport sector may, in fact, have worsened.

As cited in The Island and Lanka Business Online, Rohan argued that “the draft policy appeared to perpetuate existing inefficiencies, poor service and waste of public funds”, as well as that “the national transport policy does not allow for adequate private participation, and where there was, such as in bus services, regulation was lacking”.

Click here to download slides.

4 Comments

Ranjith Dissanayake
July 27, 2009, 9:51 pm
A copy of Rohan Samarajeewa presentation on 23rd July on Transport and Transportation Policy Pl.
Ranjith Dissanayake 240/15 Weera Mawatha, Depanama, Pannipitiya. 10230.
e-mail: randissanayake@sltnet.lk
Mobile 0718157271.
Res 2844916
Kirigalpoththa
July 28, 2009, 10:14 am
i like the idea of developing train stations into tourist station with multi facilities. I remember staying overnight in one of the rooms in Anuradhapura station a few years ago. I don’t know about the current status but those days it was well maintained and very good offer for the price i paid.

Any plans of linking the transport policy with the road network?

Did not see that in the slides.
Rohan Samarajiva
July 28, 2009, 5:26 pm
Thanks for the interest and comments.

I was not the main speaker. In any case, one has to pick a few things to say in 20 mts.

Pls see http://sanvada.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=1 for the full discussion, including some podcasts, I think.
Kirigalpoththa
July 29, 2009, 2:25 pm
Thanks Dr. Samarajiva!