Three-wheeler sector needs to be regulated

There is no doubt that three-wheelers provide an invaluable service to the people of the country, especially those who don’t have the luxury of owning a private vehicle, but this is one sector that needs more regulation for the benefit of both consumers and owners.

At present there are over 1.1 million registered three-wheelers in the country of which around 70% are passenger carriers while the rest are goods carriers. In Colombo and suburbs and other big cities, three-wheelers registered with companies such as PickMe and Uber are popular as they are often dependable and safe particularly for women travelling alone. But not everyone has access to mobile phones which support such apps and a large number hail a three-wheeler when the necessity arises.

Three-wheelers operate almost unregulated and there have been frequent reports of these vehicles being used to carry out illegal activities such as robberies, drug dealing and prostitution. In outstations, they operate without meters and charge passengers at their whim.

Gemunu Wijeratne of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) claimed this week that he has heard complaints from many people in rural areas who usually take three-wheelers only for a medical emergency or at times passenger buses have stopped their daily run that they are charged unfairly high rates.

Wijeratne made the claim while urging the Transport Ministry to grant permission to import small single door buses which can accommodate around 10 seats so that people in rural areas can use them instead of three-wheelers.

The bus operators will naturally look at the issues from a profit-making angle but what he states is a reality that people in rural areas experience.

Even in big towns such as Kandy and Galle, three-wheelers operate without meters and charge large sums for short trips. Both foreign tourists as well as local visitors are exploited by these unscrupulous three-wheeler drivers who take advantage of the undependable road transport system in place.

In 2021, the Government announced plans to ensure that all Western Province three-wheelers are fitted with taxi meters but even within the Colombo city there are those who operate without meters even today. This is most common outside hospitals where patients from all parts of the country come for medical treatment and end up getting fleeced when they need to hire a three-wheeler. At some places, it seems that the Police too turn a blind eye where three-wheeler drivers gang up and often intimidate passengers and even the law enforcement officers.

There is little agreement on the minimum rate per kilometre among three-wheeler owners and even though the All-Island Three-wheeler Drivers and Owners Association announces from time to time that its members will abide by a certain rate, it rarely happens. It is not clear even how many three-wheeler owners are members of this Association and hence any decision they announce cannot be taken seriously.

The number of three-wheelers have remained around 1.1 million for the past three years due to import restrictions but once these are relaxed the number is bound to increase especially with many unemployed youths turning to lease these vehicles.

This is why the Government must step in soon to regulate passenger-carrying three-wheelers so that people don’t get cheated and their safety is not compromised. The sector cannot continue in the informal manner it does now with most drivers undisciplined, untidy and rude and unfit for the responsible role that goes with being passenger carriers. There must be mandatory training for those who ply passengers as well as strict rules for issuing licences to operate three-wheels unlike what happens today.

The last election showed that three-wheel drivers are a powerful voting block for some politicians who play to their fancy to secure their vote and hence allow them a free run on the roads and as a result it is the public who pay a high price, not only with their money but also with their lives, as a result of their undisciplined driving, which costs lives each day.