• All Island Three-Wheeler Drivers’ Association says they have no control
• Rs. 120 for first km, Rs. 200 per km from second km onwards

BY Dinitha Rathnayake  In the backdrop of three-wheeler fares being increased, the All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers’ Association claimed that it has no control over the said increase, which it said was implemented by meter-taxi companies. Speaking to The Morning, Association President Lalith Dharmasekara said that the fares have been increased according to the meter-taxi companies. “Meter-taxi companies take Rs. 200 to increase the fare, and now it is Rs. 120 for the first kilometre, while from the second kilometre onwards, it would be Rs. 200 per km. There should be control over the three-wheeler fare. We have informed the Consumer Affairs Authority, but they have written to us stating that they don’t have any regulations in place to control this.” According to Dharmasekara, there is no control or regulation over taxis, noting that some are increasing their fares on a daily basis. “Some taxi companies have increased their fare to Rs. 225 for the first km. Can you imagine where this sector is going?”. Meanwhile, three-wheelers are still complaining about the fuel quota, and about not having received a solution from the Government regarding the matter. Three-wheeler drivers are complaining that five litres of fuel as their weekly quota is wholly insufficient for a week’s travel, and that resorting to using 95-Octane petrol is their only option. Dharmasekara said that they request at least five litres daily for six days of the week, which amounts to a total of 30 litres per week. “Three-wheelers that undertake hires for companies like PickMe and Uber run 250 km per day, and they work for 12-14 hours. So their daily requirement is around 10 litres per day. Three-wheelers in three-wheeler stands run for around 150 km per day, working for 8-12 hours. So, their need is at least six litres per day. Five litres is not enough for a week, and therefore, we urge the Government to increase the quota of fuel and we are in turn ready to introduce a mobile app for that,” Dharmasekara explained. Meanwhile, speaking to the media, the All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers Union Secretary T.R. Pallie favoured rationing along with the quick response (QR) code system, but said that five litres for Rs. 2,000 was not enough for a week. A three-wheeler can drive up to 27 km per litre and therefore, he stressed that five litres is only enough for two days because of the high demand for hires.