Transportation Issues in Jaffna: An Investigation

Abstract

Jaffna, a major town in Northern Sri Lanka suffered of escalating traffic related issues due to unprecedented infrastructure development. This study intends to reveal the prime transportation issues in Jaffna Municipal Council region under three major contexts namely private transport, public transport operation and parking, and propose a viable short-term solution. Private vehicle share of 96% that mainly composed of two wheeled vehicles and three wheelers contribute to irregular traffic movements. The land available is inadequate for expansion in Jaffna Municipal Council region that prevents increasing road capacity. The study reveals that, at present, the bus operations are below the design capacity, which can cater additional passenger demand. However, poor transit accessibility, passenger comfort and lack of modernization in bus operations prevent passengers choosing it for commuting. Increasing private vehicle usage demands more parking space in the central business district. This study recommends to enhance bus operations so that the number of private vehicle commuters can be attracted to buses and thus traffic congestion and parking related issues due to private vehicles can be minimized. It also recommends to impose parking fares to prevent unnecessary parking.