Inner calm, after hours of meditation, can be dispelled in a minute when you get on to the roads of Colombo, especially when you are driving a vehicle. Bad temper, at times reaching uncontrollable anger, within a few minutes is a definite. I do not drive and never learnt either, a status I am very happy about since I do not know what fit of anger I would get into. Seated beside the driver is sufficient to drive me round the twist. 

It is very obvious to all and sundry that Colombo has the most ill-mannered and unruly motorists. Nobody seems to give a toss about the others on the road and every motorist seems to be a road hog. The three-wheeler drivers are all over the road, creeping in and out speeding, seemingly driving a racing car on a track rather than a vehicle of the public road. The bus drivers are a law unto themselves who seemingly have no consideration for anyone else on the road and the number of accidents and fatalities caused by them are not surprising. The so called gentlemen, all smartly dressed with ties round their necks, driving large vehicles have no road manners or any other form of courtesy towards those who are driving following the rules or when parking. 

It seems that no one follows traffic rules in this country and even the ones who would like to have no choice but to go with the flow and drive in an outrageous manner in order to get to any destination. Else, they would be stuck for hours if they were to be polite and let every other person driving do as they please. 

High fines should be introduced and road laws should be strictly enforced and I am sure the return from collecting fines from the majority of the drivers in Colombo would fill up the government’s coffers. Also, it might actually make the Colombo drivers better and Colombo a safer place to get about in.