Sri Lanka Army undertook the printing production of national driving licences from yesterday (January 01) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Motor Traffic at Werahera.

The special MoU was inked between Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic Sumith Alahakoon and General Shavendra Silva.

Sri Lanka Army Signallers also set up an Army Information Technology Solutions Centre (AITSC), embarking on a new project of national significance, poised to enhance the quality, rid of wastage, corruption, discrepancies and malpractices, associated with the printing process of national driving licences.

During a brief ceremony held yesterday, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva was handed over the first new copy of driving licence, instead of his old worn-out driving licence, the Army said in a statement.

The inaugural occasion was attended by Minister of Transport Gamini Lokuge, State Minister of Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services and Carriages and Automotive Industries Dilum Amunugama, Secretaries to Ministries, State Officials, Departmental officials, Senior Army Officers and invitees.

After printing of the first copy, the day’s distinguished guests visited inner sections of the Army-managed new AITSC at the Motor Traffic Department premises in Werahera, which now functions under the supervision of the Chief Signal Officer (CSO) of the Sri Lanka Army for printing, after the Cabinet of Ministers, on 01 July 2020, decided to hand over the printing process of driving licenses to the Army, on a Presidential directive.

The decision was taken with a view to providing a corruption-free efficient service to the general public who throng there every day in hundreds.

About five months ago, General Shavendra Silva, on being informed of the Cabinet decision, had instructed the CSO of the Army to immediately set up the AITSC at Werahera Motor Traffic Department premises and to gear up to undertake the responsibility of printing using most modern technology. 

Likewise, President after his unannounced visit to Werahera last year, saw himself the series of travails the applicants were undergoing while trying to get a new licence for them or renewal of it, the Army said further.

Printing of Driving Licences was previously carried out for more than 15 years by a private firm in collaboration with a foreign company as a joint venture spending a large sum of foreign exchange.

However, the AITSC, ensuring job guarantee of 45 employees who have been working in the previous management, consented to recruit them to the Army through the AITSC in fairness to their experienced service and exceptional expertise they possess.

The new AITSC at Werahera upon receipt of approved sets of applications for new licences from all districts would now feed such information into computerized information systems and maintain data accordingly while being remotely on line with respective Driving Licence offices across the country, although such facilities are available only in 09 districts as of yesterday.