Walkability in Sri Lanka

By Divantha Ekanayake, Lead for GWCN Sri Lanka Chapter

Invitation to Share Your Thoughts:

In Sri Lanka, pedestrian infrastructure is often overlooked, with minimal street space allocated to pedestrians. Despite this, pedestrians are frequently blamed for road rule violations and even accidents.

Here are some common criticisms directed at pedestrians:

Common CriticismMy Argument
“People jaywalk all the time, so they should be fined”But if they were to cross only on sidewalks, they’d have to walk long distances under the scorching heat and humidity just to find a crossing, Is this practical? On top of that, most places do not even have sidewalks.
“People walk on the road”But in most cases, sidewalks are either non-existent or too narrow to fit in all the people. And in some cases, vehicles are parked on the sidewalk, leaving no room for pedestrians.
“People don’t use pedestrian tunnels”However, these tunnels often require climbing multiple flights of stairs, making them inconvenient and inaccessible for many.
“Pedestrians should be responsible for their own safety”Is this a fair statement, Considering all the above? Further, even when pedestrians do use designated crossings, vehicles frequently fail to stop.

The same critics often argue that pedestrians in developed countries are more disciplined. But I’d like to ask from you, if they (people in developed countries) faced the same conditions described here, how would they behave?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. The goal is to challenge these deep-rooted judgments toward pedestrians and shift the focus to creating safer, more inclusive environments for everyone. 

Your insights can help spark a meaningful conversation about fairness, infrastructure, and the need for pedestrian-friendly cities.

The newly elected government of Sri Lanka has launched a campaign called ‘Clean Sri Lanka,’ aiming to achieve multiple objectives, including stricter road rule enforcement and the prevention of road accidents. This presents an ideal opportunity to bring this discussion to the forefront

If you’d like to help me by providing a simple comment on the above, please let me know by emailing to srilankanurbanist@gmail.com

-Divantha Ekanayake

Learn more about the Global Walkability Correspondents Network here

Divantha is a Sustainability Consultant and the founder of Kandy Planning Lab. He thinks that urban planning is the best tool we have to achieve sustainable development goals and should be at the forefront of sustainability and climate discussions.

Read Divantha’s content here and visit the Kandy Planning Lab here