brand logo

Government soft pedals on 3-wheeler ‘mandatory meter’

19 Jan 2022

BY Buddhika Samaraweera Despite the Government’s recent announcement that a meter will be made mandatory for all three-wheelers used for passenger transport service and will operate in the Western Province (WP) from 15 January onwards, the Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services and Train Compartments, and Motor Car Industry State Ministry has decided not to implement the regulation strictly in view of the difficulties faced by three-wheeler owners due to the current economic situation. When contacted by The Morning to inquire about the status of the said decision’s implementation, State Ministry Secretary S.M.D.L.K. De Alwis said that in the current economic situation, it is difficult for three-wheeler owners to instal a meter at a cost of around Rs. 15,000. Therefore, he said that there will be no strict monitoring on whether the three-wheelers have a meter or not. “According to the gazette notification which is in effect at present, it is essential to instal a meter for three-wheelers, but it is not possible to implement it vigorously in the current economic climate. For many three-wheeler drivers, spending money per meter is not an easy task these days. Considering the matter, we have not asked the Police to inspect whether the three-wheelers have a meter or not,” he said. Speaking to The Morning on 17 January, All Ceylon Three-Wheeler Drivers’ Union Chairman Lalith Dharmasekera said that even though meters have been made mandatory for three-wheelers on a number of occasions through gazette notifications in the past, the relevant authorities have so far failed to enforce any of these gazette notifications. He claimed that as a result of repeated requests, the State Minister Dilum Amunugama had announced in November 2021 that meters would be made mandatory for all three-wheelers operating in the WP from 15 January 2022, but that it was not yet operational. “Some take advantage of this informality in the three-wheeler industry. Developing a system to regulate the three-wheeler industry will ensure the safety of all parties involved in the industry, including the passenger. Making the meter mandatory is only one part of the regulatory system, but the Government has not been able to implement it,” he said.


More News..