The road accidents reduced

The road accidents for the last two weeks have reduced by ten percent according to the Police Traffic Division.

ASP W.D.A. Dhanjaya of the traffic division said the declining rate of road accidents was a clear indication that the proposed legislation to prevent road accidents had gained its objects.

He said the rate of road accidents reported a day to the police stations in the country earlier was between 100 and 125 with more than 40 of them being serious accidents. However, the number of accidents reported for the last two weeks was between 90 and 100 a day.

ASP Dhannajaya said the death rate in accidents earlier was between seven and eight a day but it reduced to about five for the last one and half months and that it was a direct outcome of the proposed legislation to prevent road accidents.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Motor Traffic Department said the number of applicants for driving licences had increased and that it was a clear indication that many individuals driving motor vehicles had not possessed driving lincenses.

Minister of Finance Ravi Krunanayake said the public had shown a positive response to the proposed legislation to prevent road accidents and to save their life. He stressed that he was not prepared to sacrifice the safely of a large majority to meet the demands of a handful of individuals.

Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa critical

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, continues to be very critical and is on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and life support systems , said Apollo Hospitals in a statement today.

"The chief minister is being treated and closely monitored by a team of experts," said the statement issued by Apollo Hospitals chief operating officer Subbiah Viswanathan. A team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences would land in Chennai later this afternoon, doctors said.

Apollo Hospitals said they had been updating the Prime Minister's Office, Raj Bhawan and Union health ministry about the health condition of the chief minister.

Sixty-eight-year-old Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital on September 22 with complaints of "fever and dehydration." She was later put ventilator and treated with antibiotics for infection and lung congestion. Later, doctors did a tracheostomy - made a hole in the wind pipe near the neck - so they didn't have to put the tube through her mouth. (Times of India)

Tissa Attanayake granted bail

The Colombo High Court today (05) released former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, on bail.

He was released on a cash bail of Rs. 25,000 and two sureties amounting of Rs.500,000 each.

Attanayake was in remand custody over allegedly preparing fraudulent documents.

Taking up the case, Colombo High Court  judge - Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena banned him from travelling overseas and ordered to take up the case from March 20 onwards.

Five gangsters arrested in Jaffna

Five persons, including several teenagers suspected to be members of an organised crime gang in Jaffna, had been arrested by the police.

A police team from the Kopay police station had arrested the suspects at Urumpirai.A motorcycle, mobile phones, two swords and masks in the suspects' possession had been taken into police custody.

The police are investigating whether the gang had links with the Aava group, which was responsible for a spate of robberies and attacks in the Jaffna area recently.

They were to be produced before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.

Gemunu wants rioters punished

Lanka Private Bus Owner’s Association President Gemunu Wijerathne said firm action should be taken against those who damaged public property while severely injuring a soldier in the protest organised by several private bus trade unions against the Rs. 25, 000 and Rs. 2,500 traffic fine.

 “We have already come to an agreement with President Maithripala Sirisena  to form a committee on the revision of these fines when some private bus unions decided on a strike on Friday. They carried out a poster campaign to mislead our bus drivers which resulted in them feeling inclined to support the protest. It was beyond the power of bus owners to educate all their employees about these rumours. One has to realise that we are a bus owners’ association not a bus employees’ association,” Wijeratne said.

Short distance bus operations were normal in Jaffna, Mullaithivu , Kilinochchi, Mannar and Vavuniya whereas few buses operated in Ratnapura, Kegalle and Gampaha, Wijeratne said

SLTB receives a record income

Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has received a record income of more than Rs. 120 million during the private bus operators’ strike on Friday (02) and 128 SLTB buses had been damaged by the unruly individuals, who joined the strike, sources said.

SLTB Chairman Ramal Siriwardene said the average income of the SLTB per day was Rs. 72 million and that the earnings on Friday had increased by 60 percent.

The Chairman who commended the SLTB staff said the dedicated services of the employees including drivers and conductors who took a particular interest in their duty to provide maximum transport facilities even at the peril of their life, was praiseworthy and deserved the gratitude of the Government.

He said it was the public funds that would be spent to repair the 128 SLTB buses had been damaged by the unruly individuals.

STF deployed to control tense situ. in Batticaloa

The Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to areas of Batticaloa to maintain law and order in the areas following a clash between two parties yesterday, Batticaloa Police said.

Police said the clash had triggered following a heated argument among the two parties. It also said the situation had been brought back to normal.

18 Suspects remanded over Negombo protest

The 18 suspects who were arrested in connection with the Negombo incident were remanded till December 9 by Acting Magistrate Shantha Niriella. 

The suspects were arrested this morning in connection with the incident where a group of people staged a protest by obstructing the Colombo-Negombo main road yesterday. Six three-wheelers and a private bus were also taken into police custody.