Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-08-22

Upgrading the qualitative aspect of service of the passenger transportation in three-wheelers and student transportation in school vans

- According to the Reports of the Department of Motor Traffic, as reported, the number of three‑wheelers registered in the country by the end of the year 2016 is over 11 lakhs and the number of school vans used for the student transportation is over 30,000. Taking into consideration the need to upgrade the qualitative aspect of the service of the passenger transportation in three‑wheelers and student transportation in school vans which presently is carried out in a disorderly manner and without a proper regulatory system, the proposal made by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to adopt the following measures in accordance with the recommendations of the Officials' Committee appointed to make recommendations for a methodology to be adopted in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet.

* action to be taken considering this matter as a subject matter within the purview of the Provincial Council in terms of the provisions of the Constitution.

* establishment of a National Technical Committee to provide the necessary technical support for the preparation of instructions and a set of rules and regulations inclusive of the minimum standards required for upgrading of the qualitative aspect of the service of the two transport services.

* adoption of a system to encourage the use of taxi service for safe transportation discouraging the three‑wheeler service considered as a mode of transport lacking in safety, as the long term policy of the Government in regard to public transport.