Wear seat belt or pay spot fine

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Cabinet approval has been granted to revise the Motor Traffic Act to impose spot fines for violating seat belt regulations, Acting Media Minister and Acting Cabinet Spokesman Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said. Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department auditorium yesterday Acting Minister Yapa said Cabinet approval was granted for a cabinet memorandum presented by Transport Minister Kumara Welgama

to present an amended act in Parliament. Under the amendment, a spot fine of Rs. 1,000 can be imposed for the failure of the driver or the front seat passenger to use the seat belt.

According to the Acting Minister the Government reduced and removed many taxes recently but those taxes did not receive due publicity. Only the vehicle tax increased while the Nation Building Tax was removed from many things.

Relief offered to small and medium scale businessmen and tax removed for investors. No publicity was given when the Government reduced the tax on vehicles by 50 per cent in 2009 enabling people to buy vehicles fulfilling their long standing dreams. They did not buy vehicles before 2009 because they did not want to get them exploded during bomb blasts carried out by the LTTE. Even people who had money did not buy vehicles due to fear of losing them. That is why the Government reduced the tax on vehicles in 2009 enabling one in every five Sri Lankans to own a vehicle.

But according to the current trend, in another two years time no vehicle will be able to travel on local roads due to congestion. The roads are getting developed rapidly and the number of vehicles increasing beyond the limit. But the increased taxes will make no big impact on the local vehicle market and it will become normal again with time. Even during the war and in the middle of terrorists' attacks and bomb blasts the vehicle market survived. Unloading vehicles at Hambantota Port will make no impact on the prices of vehicles. Only taxes on super luxury vehicles have been increased( in some instances by 6.7 million).

In 2009, 3421 cars, 170 vans and cabs, 34563 three wheelers and 139,000 motor bicycles were imported to Sri Lanka, but, in 2011 54285 cars, 12838 vans and cabs, 137816 three wheelers and 252318 motor bicycles were imported to Sri Lanka. A total of 211,679 vehicles were imported to Sri Lanka in 2009,but, this number increased up to 523,963 by 2011 (last year).

"The fuel consumption increased along with the number of vehicles the cost increased by 18.9 per cent. The price of a barrel of crude oil increased from US $ 95.33 to US $115 62 during last three years. In 2009, Sri Lanka imported 2086 Metric Tons of crude oil and in 2011 imported 2,300 metric tons", the acting minister added.