Over 300,000 driver’s licenses await issuance: Officials revealed

Colombo, Oct. 16 (Daily Mirror) - Officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation informed the Ministerial Consultative Committee that over 300,000 driver’s licenses are currently pending issuance. Arrangements have been made to print and distribute these licenses within the next three months.

The officials also stated that a new driver’s license with enhanced security features will be printed and issued within this year. All preparations have been completed to procure the one million cards required for the license printing process, they added.

The remarks were made during the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, held in Parliament on October 9 under the chairmanship of Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake.

Addressing the committee, the Minister instructed officials to install printing machines in every province to expedite the issuance of pending licenses.

The committee also discussed vehicle number plates. Officials informed members that the process of selecting a supplier is underway, and once Cabinet approval is obtained, issuance of number plates will commence.

The integrated passenger transport timetable was another key topic. The Minister noted that as this is a policy initiative, steps will be taken to identify shortcomings and expand the service to additional regions to provide a more efficient experience for passengers.

Additionally, the committee reviewed a pilot project aimed at reducing train-elephant collisions. It was revealed that Rs. 2.8 million will be spent to install long-range surveillance cameras on trains operating along the Madakalapuwa (Batticaloa) line to monitor and minimize accidents.

The meeting also included discussions on constituency issues raised by Members of Parliament and potential solutions. The session was attended by Ministers, State Ministers, MPs, and other officials.