ROAD IN COLOMBO CAVES IN NEAR OLD TRAM WAY

කොළඹ ට්‍රෑම් කාර්...

The cave-ins of Second Cross Street reminds of the old Tram era Colombo Second Lane

මේ video එක බලන්න. (Watch this video)

An incident which reminds of the era in which tram cars were driven in 1900 during the reign of the British was reported yesterday. That was because the Second Cross lane has caved in and the tram track have surfaced. 

A small cave-in has been reported yesterday near olcott Road, Pettah and a youth who has been watching TV has showed it. He stated that the cave-in which has been about 2 inches wide has enlarged after a bus has passed on it. When they have observed it, they have found out that the cave-in was very deep.

When the police have received its news, they have closed the way in which the cave-in has been deep. This has caused a lot of traffic. Road Development Authority and the Urban Council have gathered to start its renovations and have found out a cave-in similar to a snake tunnel. When that had been opened up, the cave-in has run up to 8 feet.  RDA has decided to renovate the place to last for long since vehicles pass often. 

A particular cause has not been found yet it is believed that it would have been the road in which tram cars would have been driven in 1900’s. This led us to look into the history where tram cars were driven in Sri Lanka. Rikshos era declined with the introduction of tram cars. Colombo has been the first Asian country where tram cars have been first introduced. British have first prepared the road ways in 1985 for tram cars and the first drive has taken place on the 12th of September 1899. First drive has been from Colombo Grand oriental hotel to Thotalanga. It is said that it has taken 17 minutes for that ride. That has been organized by the Colombo Council member H.F Pries. It is also reported that the cart men and rikso men have protested against tram cars by attacking them. 

It is also said that there were passengers who have travelled without paying for the ticket. Many accidents caused by tram cars have taken many lives. At the same time, some have purposely jumped before tram cars to commit suicide and there have been accidents caused by the wires which have fallen on tram cars. Thus, the British have appointed a commission to find solutions to the deaths and the accidents. 

Tram cars have been very popular among people and it was reported that tram cars have been open to the public on the 13th of January in 1900 and about 20,000 have travelled in them during the first week. About 15,000 people have used to travel in tram cars daily after about a year. 

There had been a tram strike in 1929. 225 workers including drivers have stopped the tram service saying that they are not paid enough and 5 have been shot dead in a protest by the police. Even though, the company has tried to use extra workers that too have been unsuccessful. Tram service has been taken under Colombo Urban Council in 1944. 

Tram service has been stopped completely after trolley bus service has been introduced in 1950’s. Still tram pathways are visible in certain places in and around Colombo and yesterday’s cave-ins too have been reported on a tram pathway.