- E-Motoring project to be implemented soon.
- Demerit points system for traffic offences to commence by next year.
- Plans underway to establish a new speed limit regulation.
- Pilot project to issue light vehicle driving licenses to the hearing impaired persons.
- Pilot project to detain drug-using drivers -State Minister of Transport, Lasantha Alagiyawanna.
A pilot project on adding 50 electric buses operated by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) will be launched to create an efficient and a quality transport service, State Minister of Transport, Lasantha Alagiyawanna said.
The Minister of State said that the approval of the Cabinet has already been received for this project which is being implemented by the Lakdiva Engineering Company Private Limited.
He expressed these views today (25) during a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC).
State Minister of Transport, Lasantha Alagiyawanna further commented;
As per the instructions given by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, we are currently working as a Ministry to create a perfect and efficient transport service with technology. Lakdiva Engineering Company Private Limited has been established as a private company on 24 acres of land in Ekala area.
Since the resources available here are not being utilized to the fullest extent, the Cabinet has approved the implementation of programs to find a suitable investor and create productivity. Necessary approval has been received to create electric buses with a local or foreign investor.
Accordingly, as a pilot project, 50 buses are being used to create ‘E-buses’. It is planned to continue the program to popularize electric buses.
The National Transport Medical Institute administers a total of 847,346 examinations each year to renew and issue driver’s licenses. By carrying out such investigations, accidents can be decreased in our country. Due to the inquiries made by this institution, 58,641 applicants were turned down. Rs. 26 million is spent annually as printing fees for issuing medical certificates. Therefore, it has been planned to save 26 million per year by including it in the computer data system from January 01, 2024.
The Department of Motor Traffic has adopted technology to the point where all transactions may now be completed through card. The Ministry is also trying to update the Motor Traffic Act, which has been in effect for seven decades, and introduce a new Act. For that, 13 committees have been appointed .The new Act will be presented in the Parliament next year ‘E-Motoring project’ is expected to be implemented in the Department of Motor Traffic. Through the implementation of this ‘E-Motoring project’, the government has the ability to recover tax money that has been lost so far.
A demerit points system for traffic offences will commence by January 01 2024. Under this system, a driver who accumulates 24 demerit points will have his or her driving license cancelled immediately.
It is hoped that the Department of Motor Traffic and the National Council for Road Safety will jointly establish a new speed limit regulation and the gazette notification is being prepared. This shows the maximum speed limit applicable for a vehicle within the urban limits and rural limits. In the future, the speed limit will be marked on the road. The pilot project is already being implemented in Gampaha district.
As a pilot project, action has been taken to issue light vehicle driving licenses to the hearing impaired persons in the Gampaha district. For about 30 years, hearing-impaired people have been applying for light vehicle driver’s licenses, but due to various obstacles, they have not been able to satisfy that requirement. It has been a privilege to issue driving licenses to hearing impaired people during my tenure by drawing the attention of the Department of Motor Traffic and the National Transport Medicine Institute to fulfill their demands.
Drug use is another element that contributes to accidents. Only those who drive while intoxicated have been arrested thus far. As a pilot project, a program to detain drug-using drivers was put into place utilizing 50 technological kits that can identify people driving while under the influence of other drugs. As a result, when 1781 of them were checked, 41 of them were discovered to have used drugs, including alcohol. 90% of them had their licenses suspended. Through all of these arrangements, we hope to provide a quality and efficient transportation service.
