The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the time. I second the Adjournment Motion moved by the Hon. Samanmali Gunasinghe.

¶ 02 We express our condolences to the people affected by disasters across the country today and to the families of those who have lost their lives. We all carry a national responsibility to unite and help each other through this difficult time.

¶ 03 Regarding the motion: we can all agree on the need to regulate three-wheelers used privately and for transporting schoolchildren, to ensure a safe passenger service. The recently passed National Transport Commission (Amendment) Act provides legal provisions to regulate private vehicles, including three-wheelers, and to ensure children’s safety and regulate other passenger transport. The National Transport Commission is already focusing on regulating school vans.

¶ 04 Many low-income parents rely on three-wheelers to transport children to preschool and school, sometimes sharing costs. This must be done safely. While regulating, we must also promote facilities for children’s transport. The Ministry of Transport and the National Transport Commission have a responsibility to provide guidance to drivers and necessary facilities.

¶ 05 Recently, the Minister of Transport stated that CCTV will be installed in school vans. I urge that similar attention be focused on other passenger transport modes to ensure safety of children and passengers.

¶ 06 Thank you.