The Railway Department has decided to replace bamboo gates at level crossings with warning boards and large mirrors, as the former has proven ineffective.

Noting that bamboo gates had failed to reduce the number of rail accidents, the department blamed the inefficiency of temporary workers posted to these level crossings for the situation.

The bamboo gate method came into effect during the office of the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, with Janasaviya poverty alleviation programme beneficiaries given the task of manning the level crossings.

They had been paid a Rs. 1,000 allowance, which had been trebled by now, but still not enough to satisfy them.