• Emphasises on employees and equipment quality  
• Police urges shuttle service for int’l schools 

The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) recognised the need to regulate garages in order to create a more efficient road system amidst reports of increasing road accidents.

“Investigations need to be done on the quality of people employed at the garage as well as the equipment used in repairs,” DMT Chief Examiner of Motor Vehicles Sujeewa Tennakoon said at a press conference yesterday (6). Tennakoon expressed this as a reaction to statements on increasing road accidents due to carelessness by vehicle owners. 

In order to improve the efficiency of road use and prevent accidents from occurring, he also suggested digitisation. “The use of having digital means of monitoring vehicles, as well as having a digital driving license is something that we look forward to having,” Tennakoon said.

Last year (in 2024), the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal to introduce digital driving licenses in order to replace the current driving licenses. Tennakoon emphasised that the printing cost that the Government accrues for the licenses is high and that therefore, digitisation is a preferable solution.

Meanwhile, the Police stated that the accidents are also caused by pedestrians being forced to walk on roads due to the pavement being obstructed. “There are many instances where pedestrians are forced to walk on the road because people are conducting various types of businesses on the roads,” the Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Traffic and Road Safety Range, Indika Hapugoda, said. “Further, several people park their vehicles on the road, leading pedestrians to walk on the road and risk getting hit by vehicles.” Hapugoda said that due to pedestrians being exposed to road traffic as well as because many pedestrians do not cross at the proper crossings, several pedestrians have sustained fatalities. Police has previously stated that vehicles are not allowed to park on pavements and that vehicles that are found thus parked would be towed. 

Further, he also noted that traffic congestion is high around international schools where the use of public transport is limited and private vehicles gather to pick up students. He recommended the use of a quality shuttle service or an improvement in other modes of transportation in order to reduce the said congestion.