New driving licences in high demand - Minister

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Road Passenger Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna told Parliament the Department of Motor Traffic has issued a total number of 27,239 new driving licences during the months of January, February and March of this year.

The Minister made this comment responding to an oral question raised by JVP MP lakshman Nipunaarachchi.

The Minister said new driving licences system was introduced from March 27.

This licence which was introduced as per the Motor Traffic (amendment) Act is issued only after three months from the date on which the applicant gets through the written examination. Therefore during the months of January, February and March in 2009 driving licences under the new system were not issued.

According to the Minister a total of 46,010 applications were received for new driving licences for January, February and March this year.

The Minister said 41,411 persons had applied to obtain new driving licences in place of their expired licences under the old driving licenses system during the period from January 26 to March 2009. In addition, 415 persons had applied to obtain driving licenses under the new system during March 27,30 and 31.

Of this total applications received, 20,444 new driving licenses have been issued in place of the expired driving licences during the months of January, February and March this year.

The Ministry has introduced a one-day service for issuing driving licences.

The charges levied for issuing the new driving licences include one vehicle category Rs. 1700, two vehicles category Rs. 2000, three vehicle category Rs. 2250 and for foreigners Rs. 15,000.

Metropolitan Advanced Technologies has produced these driving licences.