Sri Lanka is considering facilitating driver’s licences for foreigners at airports by April, State Minister for Transport Lasantha Alagiyawanna said.
Addressing the media on Wednesday (Jan 17), the State Minister further said that measures are also being taken to resolve the current challenges in licence issuance by October.
He said that the commitment extends to replacing temporary licences with permanent ones through expedited one-day services.
State Minister Alagiyawanna also assured that the ongoing issue in the issuance of driver’s licences will be addressed by October, with a shift towards providing permanent licences through a one-day service rather than temporary ones.
He outlined plans to elevate all district offices responsible for issuing driving licences to the status of the Werahera head office by the end of this year.
Elaborating on the transportation initiatives under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s guidance, he emphasized the ministry’s commitment to delivering efficient public transport services through modern technology. He highlighted ongoing programs and the ministry’s efforts to amend the existing Motor Vehicle Act, introducing a new act.
“In the interest of road safety, steps are being taken to streamline the speed limit process to reduce accidents. While alcohol detection is currently operational for drivers, a new initiative targets legal action against drivers under the influence of drugs, implemented nationwide since this year, with an initial phase in the Western and Southern Provinces.
“To enhance driver education and safety, plans include implementing a program to inform drivers about first aid in the event of an accident, with future intentions to incorporate related questions into the driver’s license test. With approximately 8.9 million vehicles and 8.5 million licenced drivers in the country, efforts are underway to standardise all district offices issuing licenses to the level of the Werahera head office by year-end,” he added. (NewsWire)