Govt. says three-wheelers robbing labour from vital trades

• Plans to regulate three-wheeler transport industry
• Discourage newcomers to industry 

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake with the Ceylon Three-Wheel Drivers’ and Owners’ Association officials

The government’s policy decision to trim the country’s thriving three-wheeler transport industry is taken to prevent the concentration of excessive labour into one trade, according to Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. 

The minister expressed these views during a special meeting organised by the All Ceylon Three-Wheel Drivers’ and Owners’ Association in Colombo on Saturday.
According to a Finance Ministry statement, a large number of representatives of the three-wheeler transport sector, three-wheeler drivers and owners from different parts of the country participated in this meeting. 

“The three-wheel transport service was introduced as a mode of self-employment but the number of newcomers taking into this trade has been increased tremendously. 
Consequent to this phenomenon, an excessive number of three-wheelers have been put on Sri Lankan roads thereby confining a considerable portion of the labour market to a single trade – three-wheel transport. 

This situation has caused several economic and social issues. This is the reason that this government decided to discourage newcomers to this sector,” Karunanayake said. 
The minister also communicated the government’s plans to introduce a regulatory system with regard to three-wheel transport service. He said proposals from three-wheeler drivers and owners will make the proposed system more effective and productive.

According to Karunanayake, this regulatory system will limit importation of three-wheelers to the island and the move will strengthen the economic conditions of the three-wheeler drivers and owners, who are already engaged in the trade.

The minister stressed that this mechanism would only discourage newcomers to the trade and it would not affect those who are already engaged in the trade. He also told the three-wheeler drivers and owners present at the event to inform him if any finance institution in the country rejects to accept their three-wheelers as collateral when obtaining a loan.