Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka stated that Sri Lanka has lost Rs 397 billion in 2014 due to heavy traffic congestion in cities and towns.

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Speaking at a discussion to gather public opinion on the Megapolis development plan, he said that the average speed of vehicles in the cities has dropped from 20km per hour to 12 km per hour.

Although Colombo is the main city in Sri Lanka, there are 68,000 shanty dwellers, Ranawaka said. There were over 500 beggars and 16,000 stray dogs in the city, he added.

Over a three decade period, the number of vehicles entering the city has grown to 500,000 per day, he also pointed out. Meanwhile, suburbs such as Homagama and Kaduwela are being urbanized rapidly, Ranawaka said.