Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Despite holding a heavy vehicle driving licence from ordinary driving schools, the Transport Ministry had decided not to allow those drivers to drive passenger transport vehicles, Transport State Minister Dilum Amunugama said.

While addressing an event in Kalutara today, the State Minister said the decision was taken to introduce a new driver’s licence to drove passenger buses.

There is an alarming increase in accidents involving buses owing to poor knowledge and learning to drive buses, he said.

Under the current situation, those who had obtained heavy vehicle driving licences from any driving school, are permitted to drive   passengers buses.

“This situation will be changed in the future. Therefore, it will be mandatory to obtain a driving licence from the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), as this state-owned institution provides better training for the learners,” State Minister said.

“After obtaining heavy vehicle driving licence, the SLTB driving instructors will examine the person’s competency to drive passenger transport buses. If not, he will not be allowed to do so. Even though, the licence holder has passed the examination, another two weeks of training will be given to drive buses,” he said. 

“That is how the SLTB issues driving licences in the past. The similar procedure will be absorbed and adopted from now onwards,” he said.

However, the Ministry has been planning to issue  driving licence based on the SLTB methods, the State Minister added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)