State Minister for Transport Lasantha Alagiyawanna has assured that the ongoing issue in the issuance of driver’s licenses would be addressed by October, with a shift towards providing permanent licenses through a one-day service rather than temporary ones.

Speaking at a news conference held at the Presidential Media Centre under the theme ‘Collective Path to a stable country’ today (Jan.17), the state minister outlined plans to elevate all district offices responsible for issuing driving licenses to the status of the head office in Werahera by the end of this year.

Alagiyawanna, elaborating on the transportation initiatives under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s guidance, emphasized the ministry’s commitment to delivering efficient public transport services through modern technology. He highlighted the 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 are afoot to implement 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 licensed drivers in the country, efforts are underway to standardize all district offices issuing licenses to the level of the Werahera head office by year-end.

Further developments include facilitating driver’s licenses for foreigners at airports by April and resolving the current challenges in license issuance by October. The commitment extends to replacing temporary licenses with permanent ones through expedited one-day services.

--PMD