Government to introduce demerit system for traffic offenses in September: Bimal

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Colombo, June 9 (Daily Mirror) - The government is planning to introduce a demerit system for traffic offenses in September as a pilot project across the country, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake said today.

He told Parliament that drivers cannot be disciplined without the demerit system.

The Minister said 2,750 deaths have been reported due to road accidents last year and that 1,000 deaths out of that are of mortorcyclists and another 1,000 are of pedestrians.

"Only an average of 650 deaths have been reported as passengers of vehicles. A descipnied driver is important to prevent road accident deaths. We cannot create a disciplined driver without the demerit system," he said.

He said the introduction of the demerit system has been delayed due to fraudulent activities.