The Ministry of Transport and Highways has denied reports claiming that all un-updated driving licenses will be cancelled.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), Transport & Highways Ministry Secretary Eng. Ranjith Rubasinghe confirmed that these rumors are untrue.
He further stated that a new system will be introduced to update information for 2 million licenses, with the entire process expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“The first driving license in Sri Lanka was issued in the 1960s. Since then, approximately 12.3 million licenses have been issued. Licenses from the 1960s do not have an expiry date, allowing them to be used indefinitely without renewal. Consequently, the information for about 2 million license holders remains outdated.
The digitization of all transport sector services is currently underway. The procurement process for digitizing black marks and on-the-spot fines is nearing completion. Starting January 1, 2025, fines and on-the-spot penalties will be managed through this new system, which will require updated information for all driving licenses.
We will soon implement a new method to update the information of nearly 2 million driving license holders who have not yet updated their details. This process will not require new medical records or a visit to the Department of Motor Traffic. Our goal is to complete this update for all license holders by the end of this year. It is important to emphasize that no new driving licenses will be issued, nor will existing licenses be cancelled. Any reports suggesting otherwise are completely false.”
Eng. Ranjith Rubasinghe’s statement follows a report by the state newspaper, the Daily News, which claimed that old non-biometric heavy vehicle driver’s licenses would be invalidated next year, with drivers required to obtain new licenses.
The report, citing Motor Traffic Commissioner General Nishantha Weerasinghe, also mentioned that 1.1 million old heavy vehicle driver’s licenses would be cancelled as part of this process, with affected drivers given time to obtain new licenses.
According to the news report, Nishantha Weerasinghe had further stated that around 1 million light vehicle driver’s licenses, which cannot be renewed, would soon be invalidated.
However, the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Highways has denied these reports.
Source: Newswire
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