Sri Lanka Police has cautioned motorists against fraudulent SMS and WhatsApp messages instructing them to pay traffic fines online through suspicious web links.

The messages, which appear to originate from the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), claim that fines must be settled within a week for alleged traffic offences. 

However, DIG W. P. J. Senadeera, in charge of the Traffic Control and Road Safety Range, said that the DMT has not issued any such notifications, stressing that the messages are entirely fake.

DIG Senadeera urged the public not to open the links, provide personal or banking details, or respond to the messages. “They are completely fake. Do not respond and fall victim to this scam,” he said.

He further advised that anyone affected should immediately inform the nearest police station. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police today issued a statement warning the public about false information circulating on social media regarding traffic fine amounts.

Police said that a notification containing incorrect fine values, allegedly prepared by another party, had been widely shared online. 

The statement stressed that these figures were baseless and misleading.

The Police have further released the correct notification alongside the clarification to ensure the public is accurately informed.

Sri Lanka Police urged citizens to rely only on verified sources for information. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has issued a public warning about an ongoing cyber scam targeting motorists through fraudulent SMS and WhatsApp messages impersonating official police notifications.

According to SLCERT, the messages falsely claim that traffic violations have been detected via CCTV cameras and direct recipients to pay fines through a fake website designed to closely resemble the Government’s official “GovPay” platform. 

The fraudulent site is intended to mislead the public and trick individuals into disclosing sensitive personal and financial information.

SLCERT cautioned that victims attempting to make payments through these fake websites risk exposing credit and debit card details, OTP codes, National Identity Card information, and other confidential data to cyber criminals.

SLCERT urged the public to remain vigilant and follow safety measures, including:

• Avoid suspicious links received via SMS or WhatsApp.
• Verify websites before making any payments.
• Do not share banking details with unknown platforms.
• Never disclose OTP codes to third parties.
• Report suspicious activity immediately to Sri Lanka CERT or the Police.

SLCERT also reminded motorists that traffic fines through the GovPay system should only be settled after an official notification is issued by a police officer and a valid traffic fine ticket is formally provided. (Newswire)

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GovPay has facilitated over 21,600 online traffic fine payments since its launch in April 2025, generating more than Rs. 28 million in government revenue.

According to the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), the system continues to expand nationwide, providing citizens with a faster, more transparent, and efficient method to settle traffic fines.

Implemented under the Ministry of Digital Economy in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Police and LankaPay (Pvt) Ltd, GovPay enables motorists to pay fines online without visiting police stations or banks.

The digital platform was first introduced through pilot projects in Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, and Matale Districts, followed by expansion to the Western Province, expressways, and most recently, the Southern Province.

ICTA said the income collected reflects growing public trust in digital payments and demonstrates the success of Sri Lanka’s move toward a fully digitized public service.

GovPay’s integration across all provinces is expected to be completed in the coming months, allowing nationwide access to online fine payments. (Newswire)

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Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Rathnayake says the Cabinet has approved the implementation of an islandwide online traffic fine payment system.

He made this statement during a media briefing near the Kottawa Expressway entrance, following a public awareness programme on mandatory seat belt use for vehicles travelling on expressways.

“The Cabinet approved the proposal today. At present, the online fine payment system is available only between Kurunegala and Anuradhapura. Now, we’re providing all police units with mobile devices, so that from this year, traffic fines can be paid from anywhere via mobile phones,” the minister said.

He emphasized that while the government is making it easier to pay fines, the real objective is road safety. “Rather than paying fines, we urge everyone to drive carefully, wear seat belts, and avoid violations. Our core message is simple, travel safely,” he added. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s Postal Department has reportedly suffered a significant revenue loss due to the introduction of the GovPay payment gateway for traffic fines.  

According to the Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF), the new digital service has eliminated the income generated by the Postal Department from such payments.

The trade union points out that this shift from post office-based fine payments results in the Postal Department losing between Rs. 600 million and Rs. 800 million in annual revenue.

The Postal Trade Unions Front reveals that this new digital payment for traffic fines was introduced when the Postal Department had already introduced a new SMS notification system for individuals paying police fines at post offices.

Stating that this system was proposed to be developed to notify the respective traffic police officer and the individual who paid the fine via SMS, the trade union claimed that it was not implemented due to a lack of response from the Police Department.

The trade union revealed it was not opposed to the use of technology and urged the government to launch the SMS fine system designed by the Postal Department, warning that a revenue loss could directly impact the Treasury.

As the GovPay online traffic fine payment system has been introduced as a pilot programme, the trade union urged the government to revise and integrate its SMS fine system. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Police, in collaboration with the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), is preparing to launch the pilot phase of the GovPay Traffic Fines system—an online platform designed to enable motorists to pay traffic fines digitally.

A workshop to finalize the implementation of the pilot project was held today in Dambulla, with the participation of senior police officials, including the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the DIG Traffic, along with key representatives from government and technology sectors.

ICTA board member Harsha Purasinghe, who attended the event, shared an update on social media, stating: “Absolutely thrilled to have successfully concluded the GovPay Traffic Fines Workshop today in Dambulla! We’re now all set to launch the pilot run of the GovPay Traffic Fines system. Stay tuned for the GoLIVE of the #GovPay Traffic Fines pilot!”

The initiative is expected to streamline traffic fine payments, reduce administrative burdens, and promote greater transparency in law enforcement. The pilot rollout is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

The project is supported by ICTA, the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Ministry of Transport, LankaPay, Sri Lanka Telecom/Mobitel and other stakeholders committed to advancing digital government services in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) says steps are being taken to enable Govpay for the payment of traffic fines. 

According to ICTA Board Member, Harsha Purasinghe, the public will very soon be able to settle traffic fines through Govpay, to provide relief to motorists. 

It is reported that groundwork in this regard has been completed by the ICTA and an agreement is set to be signed soon. 

Govpay is a newly introduced official online payment platform for government-related services, such as taxes, fines, utility bills, and educational fees.

Speaking during a recent forum in Colombo, Harsha Purasinghe revealed that the newly appointed ICTA Board had found that despite being piloted, the Govpay digital payment platform had not been introduced.

“After coordination with several other agencies, Govpay was finally launched to the public with many new features within a short period. When we launched Govpay on the 7th, we had 16 government organisations on board. As of today, we have 25 organisations. Every week, we are adding new public institutions,” Purasinghe said. (Newswire)

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The Department of Posts has issued a notice on the operating hours of post offices designated for the payment of traffic fines at night.

Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara said the initiative to allow the public to pay traffic fines at post offices at night was launched on March 18, 2024. 

He further said that special operating hours were allocated for the payment of traffic fines at night.

The operation times of post offices for this purpose are as follows;

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A total of 125 traffic offenders were traced through the newly launched CCTV Camera initiative implemented in Colombo, the Police said.  

The Police said as a preliminary step, they had advised motorists found guilty of traffic offences yesterday (Jan 22). 

The CCTV Camera initiative to trace traffic offenders was launched in Colombo yesterday, with cameras installed in 33 locations. 

According to the Police, lane switching and stop-line driving offences were among various other traffic offences reported on the first day of the programme. (NewsWire)

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The CCTV program initiated by the Sri Lanka Police to trace traffic offenders in Colombo is effective from today (Jan 22). 

Accordingly, traffic offenders will be traced using Police CCTV cameras placed in 33 crucial locations in Colombo. 

As per the initiative, the fine sheets of those found guilty will be sent to the address of the registered owners of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) has opposed the Police’s CCTV program to trace traffic offenders in Colombo 

Chairman of LPBOA, Gemunu Wijeratne said the bus priority lane law must be implemented if buses are to be regulated under this programme. 

He further said that the operation of buses faces issues due to other vehicles, including three-wheelers, travelling in the bus lane. (NewsWire)

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