Pix and text by Tissa Kotinkaduwa Road accidents have increased in Ja-Ela, Kandana, and Dadugama, particularly along the Colombo–Negombo main road, due to stray cattle freely roaming across the highway. The alarming situation has prompted motorists and residents to demand solutions from the authorities. Drivers and pedestrians alike face danger, especially on the Colombo-Negombo Road. [...]
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Road accidents have increased in Ja-Ela, Kandana, and Dadugama, particularly along the Colombo–Negombo main road, due to stray cattle freely roaming across the highway.
The alarming situation has prompted motorists and residents to demand solutions from the authorities. Drivers and pedestrians alike face danger, especially on the Colombo-Negombo Road.
In one of the latest accidents, a priest riding a motorcycle died on Wednesday after colliding with a herd of cattle in the Dadugama-Ja-Ela area. Rev. Geethanjali Annesley, parish priest of St. Lazarus Church in Wattala, was thrown off his motorcycle when cattle suddenly entered the main road from a side lane and crashed into him on Tuesday. His helmet shattered on impact, causing severe head injuries.
He was admitted to the intensive care unit of Ragama Teaching Hospital, but Ja-Ela police said he died in the early hours of the following day.
The problem, once confined to nighttime, now extends into daytime and peak traffic hours, often causing traffic jams. Accidents involving roaming cattle remain a serious concern, road users say.
Recently, Kandana police investigated an incident where a herd of cattle was struck by a moving train at a railway crossing between Kandana and Rilawulla, killing them instantly.
A magistrate also complained of being late to court after being stuck in traffic caused by roaming cattle on the Kandana-Nagoda stretch of the Colombo-Negombo Road.
Road users are calling for strict law enforcement and tough action against cattle owners who allow herds to graze along the roadside, warning that more lives could be lost if action is delayed.
Ja-Ela Coordinating Committee Chairman and Gampaha District Parliamentarian Stephanie Fernando raised the issue at this week’s monthly meeting. A decision was taken to strictly enforce laws on stray cattle in the division.
Instructions were accordingly issued to Ja-Ela, Kandana, and Ragama police stations and relevant government bodies.
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