Recently, I went to Anuradhapura to meet two of my friends working for the Rajarata Radio Service.
When I got off at the Anuradhapura station, I was at once surrounded by a group of three-wheeler drivers. They thought that I was on pilgrimage. I was basically forced to board a tuk tuk and it took more than 30 minutes to get from the Anuradhapura station to Rajarata Radio. He dropped me off near the radio station and sped off with an unreasonable charge.
My friends who were waiting asked me about the delay. They were surprised when I told them the fare I had to pay. Soon afterwards Rajarata Radio made this announcement:
“We have been informed that people coming to Anuradhapura are being charged unreasonable fares by tuk tuk drivers to take them to our radio station as well as to the Atamasthana. Please report to the Police if you have been ripped off by a tuk tuk driver”.
I was reminded of this incident when I saw a story on the Daily News front page recently about a complaint made by Atamasthana Chief Prelate to Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena.
The Chief Prelate Pallegama Hemarathana had admonished Minister Dr. Gunawardena as to why he is holding a Government Ministry if devotees are not provided with a proper and safe method to travel from the train station to the shrine.
The Chief Prelate also informed the Minister that pilgrims have to spend a lot of money to get to the Sri Maha Bodhi even though there have been requests for a direct bus service for a long time.
Most pilgrims to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi travel by train but there is no public bus service to the shrine from the station. Despite many requests, Sri Lanka Transport Buses (SLTB) buses are not allowed to ply this route. As soon as a train arrives at the station, the three-wheeler drivers start milling around and harassing devotees. Some are forcibly made to board a tuk tuk and are taken to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi via circular routes and charged Rs. 750 to Rs. 1,000.
These taxi drivers are not only intimidating the Station Masters and SLTB employees but also the Police. Bus crews have been assaulted by these wayward tuk tuk gangs. “The devotees have been greatly affected and political leaders have been informed, but I think they are all afraid of these gangs. I ask Minister Dr. Gunawardena what good is his Ministry if it cannot arrange extra buses or provide facilities for those who come to worship the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi?,” the Ven. Chief Prelate had said.
We approached a vendor who was packing peanuts into paper bags and asked him about the three-wheeler parking lot.
“The three-wheelers drivers here are hoodlums. They swear and abuse each other all the time. If a tourist shows up, they fight to get the hire. They don’t let new three-wheelers here. When the first train comes from Colombo, four drivers get together and pool money to buy booze. They split it four ways and wait until the next train.”
Anuradhapura is the city with the highest number of roundabouts in Sri Lanka. It is actually walking distance from the station to the shrine. Tuk Tuk drivers who forcefully pick up passengers go through these convoluted roundabouts.
One driver on the Puttalam Road left Jayantha Mawatha to the right and came to the shrine via Ranaviru Seya, and showed the passengers that he had taken the shortest route.
We also passed by a person who was walking to the shrine who said that he was born in Anuradhapura and that most of these three wheel driver are not locals.
The Anuradhapura station master said the Police have launched an investigation after he complained of the harassment faced by the pilgrims.
“Both sides were brought to the Police. The drivers were asked act in a civil manner, because they have been working there for a long time. But the problem was not solved. If proper measures were taken by the Police, this issue would not have gone this far.”
He says although a transport service to the shrine was launched by a bus owned by the Department, it only lasted four days.
“The three-wheelers surrounded and stopped the bus. The railway officials were also threatened,” he said.
A senior officer told us that the drivers clashing with the station staff has been the main cause of the fracas. Minister Dr. Gunawardena has pledged to intervene to resolve this issue.