Sri Lanka is witnessing a steady rise in the number of accidents at unprotected railway crossings, with 256 casualties and 180 deaths related to accidents associated with railroads during this year alone.
In a bid to protect the lives of fellow Sri Lankans, Allianz Lanka joined hands with the National Council for Road Safety to deploy warning signs at unprotected railway crossings around the island. A set of three signs, will be erected at intervals of 50 meters on either side of such crossings to warn drivers and pedestrians of their presence.
The first set of sign boards was commissioned at the Narahenpita Railway Station under the auspices of Hon. Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Nimal Siripala De Silva. Speaking at the event, the Minister expressed concern about the rising number of railroad accidents and commended Allianz Lanka and the National Council for Road Safety for this new initiative that would help save lives.
Dr. Sisira Kodagoda, Chairman, National Council for Road Safety said, “Our Council strives to create a safer road environment for all Sri Lankans. We are concerned about the rising incidence of railroad related accidents and have hence stepped up our efforts to make railroads safer, especially at crossings. We would like to thank Allianz Lanka for offering their assistance to this endeavour. As a company that is in the business of protecting people, they share our concern for safety. Working together, we are deploying warning signs at unprotected railway crossings to alert road users and protect their lives.”
“As a responsible insurer, we believe that we need to go beyond standing by our policyholders during trying times. We seek to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders and play an active role in raising awareness on how a bit of vigilance and a few simple precautions could help avoid untoward incidents. Inspired by the work of the National Council for Road Safety, we are delighted to partner with them on this initiative and do our best to help protect the lives of our fellow countrymen,” said Mrs. Surekha Alles, Managing Director, Allianz Insurance Lanka.
This is just one of Allianz Lanka’s many programs aimed at promoting road safety. Earlier this year, the insurer had erected several sign boards on all key roads leading in and out of Nuwara Eliya warning drivers of accident prone zones and other dangers, encouraging them to drive safe.
Allianz Insurance Lanka Ltd. and Allianz Life Insurance Lanka Ltd., known together as Allianz Lanka, are fully-owned subsidiaries of Allianz SE, Germany, a world leader in integrated financial services. Having started out as a Greenfield operation in 2005, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing insurance service providers in the country. The company prides on supporting its clients’ business strategy by understanding their risk profile and needs, and providing individual solutions from its world class portfolio of products and services. Around the world, over 140,000 Allianz employees serve some 86.3 million retail and corporate customers in about 70 countries, who place their trust on the knowledge, global presence, financial strength and solidity of Allianz to support them in their moment of truth.