Bamboo gates and rail crossings
One evening in the mid 1990s, I had a narrow escape from an approaching train at a level crossing. The car I was driving was right on the rail crossing when I saw the train continuously hooting and heading towards me. It was raining and all my shutters were up. I did not hear the sound of the train until I was on the crossing. It was sheer luck that I escaped from death. I was just a few seconds earlier than the comparatively slower Kelani Valley train to enter and exit the crossing!
Having escaped, I started feeling the gravity of what I went through. I realized that the crossing was located at a curved section of the railway track as well as the roadway, and that the barrier at the crossing had not been lowered. I also realized that I had failed to observe that I was approaching a level crossing, had not noticed any of the road-side warning boards, and had simply driven over the crossing.
Can the barrier at a level crossing be upright when a train is approaching ? Not if the barrier is mechanically or electronically operated and the signal interlocked. However, there are hundreds of level crossings with ‘bamboo barriers’ manually operated by gatemen, where the answer to the above question might be the opposite. When I was general manager, railway, a motorist, having observed the bamboo barrier upright, had driven through a crossing near Batticaloa, narrowingly escaping an oncoming train. On inquiry it was revealed that the gateman had gone away leaving the ‘gate’ unattended!
Inappropriate
The crux of the matter is the inappropriateness of the ‘bamboo gate’ protection methodology. The system was politically invented and emotionally driven, subsequent to a train-bus accident at Ahungalla, and poorly structured . Almost all hitherto unprotected level crossings were ordered to be installed with ‘bamboo gates’ for which an operator was to be hired on a daily paid basis.
The ‘gatemen’ do not belong to the railway cadre, and hence have no clear status in the public bureaucratic system. They do not get public service benefits. Their monthly earnings would be Rs 3000, grossly insufficient compared to realistic norms. They could be attracted by external opportunities of supplementary income of a few hundred rupees, for which, they could neglect manning gates.
This implies a great deal of risk at crossings for the possibility of them being left unattended. An approaching motorist, seeing the bamboo in upright position, would read it as an indication of no incoming train, though the reality could be otherwise. Taking action against the relevant bamboo gateman after a mishap would be of no use. It will have little effect on the culprit as he would not lose much by having his temporary and under-paid job discontinued. Besides, the culprits are well aware that the administration, if not prepared to remove bamboos at such crossings, is likely to call them back, as people willing to work at such a pittance is a rare commodity !
In short, bamboo rail protection can be worse than ‘no protection’. Motorists would be much more cautious and would carefully observe both sides prior to passing through ‘unprotected’ crossings. The late John Diandas, a much respected transport expert, highlighted this fact in his decade-old report and recommended to do away with the bamboo gates. But, his recommendations are yet to be implemented.
These bamboo gatemen have now become a management issue. Those who have completed a minimum period of temporary service are now entitled to be absorbed into the department’s permanent cadre. As there is no such cadre called ‘bamboo gateman’, these long-standing workers are made permanent for vacancies in the track maintenance cadres. That deprives the railway track maintenance groups of the opportunity of newly recruiting young and more suitable track workers.
The worst is when these ex-bamboo gatemen made permanent as track maintenance cadres are removed from manning crossings. Bamboo gates cannot be kept without a keeper, but removing bamboos at such unmanned gates gives rise to public protest. On the other hand, replacements for removed bamboo gate keepers are extremely rare to find at Rs 3000 per month. Nothing canbe done other than re-deploying ex-gatemen, now made permanent as track maintenance cadres, to man bamboo gates. Crossings will then be manned again, using the same old bamboo gatemen, but at higher salaries. This could cause a shortage of track maintenance workmen, but with no cadre vacancies to recruit them anew, leading to a gradual degradation of the quality and efficiency of track maintenance work.
A maga hitiyoth tho nasie, gedara giyoth ambu nasie type problem !
by T. L. Gunaruwan
Source: Lakbima
