• Minister to discuss with Cabinet
• Meeting with associations scheduled for today

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday promised representatives of private transport service providers associations that he would discuss the imposition of minimum traffic fines with the cabinet of ministers before taking a final decision.

“The Rs. 2500 minimum fine has been misinterpreted by the media; we have heard the proposals and concerns of the associations. I will discuss this in the Cabinet before taking a final decision,” the Minister said. 

Concerns raised by trade union representatives, regarding issues that may crop up in implementation will be considered along with their proposals, the Minister said. The Private Bus Owners Association called off the strike scheduled for today in protest of the increase in penalties. 

Private Bus Owners Association President Gamunu Wijerathne said that they have presented the minister a number of proposals to consider, along with the revision of the proposed fine structure. He said another meeting has been scheduled with the finance minister tomorrow evening. 

“After we explained the issue, the minister understood the impractical nature of the proposal. While some offences can be fined Rs. 2500, you cannot impose the same penalty for everything, such as parking offences. So he will talk to the Cabinet and revise the issue,” Wijerathne said. 

Last week, Karunanayake stood firm on his proposal to increase the fines, with the minimum being raised to Rs. 2500 in the 2017 Budget, despite opposition from several groups including the bus association and three wheel owners associations. 

Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association too has sent their proposals to President Maithripala Sirisena and Finance Minister regarding the proposed revision in fines.

Motorcyclists call to raise minimum traffic fine for luxury vehicles to Rs. 10,000

By Chamodi Gunawardana

Responding to the 2017 budget proposal to increase the minimum fine for traffic offenses the Ceylon Motorcyclists Association called regulations to be revised to charge a percentage of the value of the vehicle owned by the offender as a Penalty. 

Association Secretary Chirantha Amarasinghe told DailyFT that it was fair to enact a high fine for luxury vehicles since they were normally used by rich persons.

Writing to President Maithripala Sirisena, association proposed Government should define a formula to calculate the fine on an individual basis based on engine capacity. 

Accordingly, he suggested a penalty of 30% of the value of motorcycles less than 100cc, 50% from the value of motorcycles more than 100cc and 400% from the worth of luxury vehicles.

Amarasinghe said that the formula could be prepared based on the vehicle category, as mentioned in the license of the vehicle, explaining that the traffic fines should be high on heavy vehicle categories than lite vehicle categories.

He also said that imposing a Rs. 2500 fine for light vehicles such as motorcycles less than 100cc was unfair since they were used by low and middle income earners.