The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank Hon. Chamara Sampath for bringing this motion. Regarding his concerns, perhaps some on the speakers’ list met with an accident.

¶ 02 Hon. Chamara Sampath, I will respond briefly. We appreciate your aim to protect the tourism industry and its professionals. Specifically on your point: we do not issue driving licences at Bandaranaike International Airport for three-wheelers or heavy vehicles (including buses). As earlier speakers said, airport-issued temporary licences cover only cars, vans, and motorcycles.

¶ 03 This service—converting a foreign driving permit to a temporary local permit at the airport—was decided upon in 2019. On fees, we currently follow Gazette Extraordinary 2301/17 and the order published on 10.10.2022, which set the fee at Rs. 2,000. Accordingly, we charge as per that Gazette. Again, the Department of Motor Traffic does not issue any licence at the airport for three-wheelers or heavy vehicles.

¶ 04 This did not start with us; two previous governments could not implement it, and we commenced it. As for the statistics already mentioned, perhaps you did not hear them due to an incident on your side of the Chamber. Issuing these permits actually promotes tourist arrivals. We all know tourists to Ella are not in the millions; and you, who have helped build Ella as a tourist hub, know that many travelers now self-plan via the Internet and tour independently. If we over-restrict, they will choose other destinations; this facility is therefore valuable.

¶ 05 From our survey, those obtaining this service are a specific segment—longer-stay and repeat visitors. About 99% of tourists do not obtain this permit. Therefore, the impact on local employment is not as large as feared. Still, you argued that even if numbers are small, the loss matters. We accept that tourism inherently involves some foreign participation worldwide. As a tourist-friendly country, with our people’s hospitality and our climate and cuisine, this facility adds positively rather than negatively.

¶ 06 However, after discussing with tourism stakeholders, we have decided to increase the fees. The current Rs. 2,000 rate dates back to periods under Presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa or Ranil Wickremesinghe. We agree it is too low—about six euros. We will now Gazette higher fees: Rs. 15,000 for up to one month; Rs. 21,000 for up to two months; Rs. 30,000 for over two months up to six months; and Rs. 45,000 for over six months up to one year. Once the Gazette is approved—there has been a minor delay due to translation—this will introduce a degree of restraint.

¶ 07 Regarding three-wheelers, licences are issued by the Automobile Association of Ceylon under the 1949 Geneva Convention. There is debate on the exact legal standing, but it has been an accepted practice for decades. Globally, most countries have since moved to the 1968 Vienna Convention, and Sri Lanka, too, should align going forward.

¶ 08 As for foreign companies renting vehicles, if they operate lawfully, I cannot object; if they act unlawfully, whether foreign or local, it is wrong and will be dealt with.

¶ 09 In summary: the Department of Motor Traffic does not issue licences to foreigners for three-wheelers; we are increasing fees as stated; and we should avoid sending a message that foreigners recklessly grab vehicles here. Many foreigners drive more disciplined than we do. We must also improve our own traffic discipline. Thank you, Hon. Chamara Sampath, for the opportunity.