Minister of Transport Bimal Ratnayake says the Inspector General of Police has been instructed to take action against the driver of a container who was seen recklessly driving and harassing the driver of a bus on the expressway.
Video footage shows the container forcing the bus out of its lane and driving dangerously close, pushing the vehicle toward the railings.
Addressing the issue in Parliament, Minister Ratnayake pointed out that several accidents are a cause of the reckless behaviour of drivers, including drugs and alcohol consumption, racing, and sleeplessness.
“Even recently, we saw a container edge a bus out of its way for blocking its path and putting a small part. We have informed the IGP to arrest the container driver,” he said.
Minister Ratnayake further said that a special licence, identified as the Public Transport Licence, is being introduced to minimise these kinds of actions.
“All drivers engaged in public transportation, including school and taxi services, will be required to obtain this licence. It will be granted following a 2-day training period. It will be made mandatory to get a PT Licence in the future. Passenger transport licences can be obtained after the age of 25, but school transportation licences will be granted only after the age of 30,” he said.
Minister Ratnayake further revealed that the licence demerit system will also be introduced, where points will be deducted for every traffic violation, and eventually cancelled for those identified as committing continuous wrongdoing.
He added that the said regulations will be legalized within the next two months. (Newswire)
