Allowing the foreign tourists to drive tuk-tuks Tuk-tuk rental company asks for its rights

Accuses Police Spokesman of not adhering to court order

By Yohan Perera 

Referring to the recent decision by the Court of Appeal to issue an interim order preventing the police from taking action against foreign tourists who ride three-wheelers, (from tuktukrental.com), a company which rents three wheelers to foreign tourists who hold international driving licenses, yesterday said police media spokesperson is engaged in issuing contradictory statements, raising serious questions about law enforcement authority, respect for judicial rulings 

“Despite the court’s directive, the Police media spokesperson issued further contradictory statements, raising serious questions about law enforcement authority, respect for judicial rulings, and the rights of tourists travelling with valid documentation,” a representative of the company said. 

The company also issued the following statement.

This situation threatens traveller autonomy and has significant economic implications for local communities reliant on tourism income. We believe international awareness is crucial to protect tourists’ rights and restore confidence in Sri Lanka as a lawful and safe destination. 

Sri Lanka prides itself on being governed by law, not by press conferences. That principle was reaffirmed on February 19, 2026, when the Court of Appeal intervened in the escalating controversy over whether foreign tourists may lawfully drive tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka using International Driving Permits together with covering permits issued under Sri Lankan law. 

In C.A. (Writ) 1154/25, Justice Dhammika Ganepola and Justice Adithya Patabendige granted Interim Orders preserving the existing legal framework and restoring the position that prevailed before media reports on or about November 20, 2025, suggested that foreign visitors could no longer drive tuk-tuks on the strength of International Driving Permits. 

Sri Lanka is a Contracting State to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. The Convention is founded on reciprocity: member states recognise each other’s International Driving Permits to ensure uniform and predictable cross-border mobility. To give domestic effect to these obligations, Sri Lanka enacted regulations through Gazette No. 11,603 of 1958 under the Motor Car (Convention) Ordinance – regulations that remain valid and in force. 

Under that statutory framework, a foreign visitor holding a valid International Driving Permit may lawfully drive in Sri Lanka upon obtaining a local covering permit issued either by the Department of Motor Traffic or by the Automobile Association of Ceylon, which is expressly designated by law for that purpose. This is not an administrative concession. It is the governing legal scheme. 

For decades, tourists have driven tuk-tuks under this regime without controversy. Businesses, such as the Petitioner in this case, have structured operations around it. Hundreds of Sri Lankan families depend on it for their livelihood. The framework reflects not only domestic regulation but Sri Lanka’s commitment to international comity – the mutual respect of rights arising under treaty obligations.  When the matter came before Court, the Bench held that a serious question of public law arises as to whether the impugned decision was made within statutory authority or contrary to the governing legal framework. The Court further held that permitting the directive to operate pending final determination would adversely affect existing permits and business operations, whereas interim relief would merely preserve the status quo ante. Accordingly, Interim Orders were granted.