A new demerit point system will be introduced in Sri Lanka to track drivers who violate traffic rules.
Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Ratnayake said that this system, called “Demerit Points System”, will be implemented as an experimental program for a period of six months from October 1st.
The trial period will last till March 2027. During this period, drivers will be given an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new system and familiarize themselves with it.
Importantly, the minister said that the drivers’ points will not actually be reduced during this six-month trial period. When a traffic violation occurs, the police informs the driver how many future points will be deducted for that offence.
That is, in the first phase it will be a warning and awareness measure. The Minister explained that this period of time is being given to the drivers to understand the new system.
The system will be fully implemented after the trial period. Then the points of the drivers who violate the traffic rules will be really reduced. Repeated violators may lose points and eventually have their driver’s license suspended.
Deduction of points for 33 types of traffic offences
It is reported that after the new system is fully implemented, demerit points will be given for a total of 33 types of traffic offences.
The number of points deducted varies according to the nature of the offense a driver commits. Points are not deducted at the same rate for minor offenses and major traffic offences. The system will be developed so that more points are deducted for serious offences.
This allows the authorities to monitor whether the same person is repeatedly violating traffic rules. Rather than paying the fine every time and repeating the same mistake, the system takes into account the driver’s entire traffic history.
Steps are also being taken to integrate this new point system with the existing traffic fine system. Online payment methods including GovPay are to be used for this purpose. The facility of online payment of traffic fines through banks, financial institutions and FinTech apps has also been extended across the country.
As the new system is going digital, arrangements are being made to record the information related to the offenses committed by the drivers and the points deducted for them in the computerized system.
According to some reports, after paying the fine, the driver will be given information regarding how many points have been deducted. The information may also be communicated through SMS.
Team Work
The Ministry of Transport is not carrying out this project alone. Sri Lanka Police, Motor Vehicle Transport Department, Ministry of Digital Economy, LankaPay, GovTech and other organizations are jointly implementing the project.
Officials say the new system is being introduced amid ongoing concern over road accidents in Sri Lanka. News 1st reported that Minister Bimal Ratnayake said that 1,897 fatal road accidents have been reported so far this year and 2,002 people have died.
In this case, the next few months will tell how the new system will affect the behavior of the drivers.
Officials explained that the scheme is not meant to penalize drivers for every minor mistake. The main objective is said to be to identify the persistent traffic violators and bring about a change in their mode of driving.
The six-month trial period will be a period to familiarize drivers with the new procedure. During this time the police will inform the drivers about the violation points. Thereafter, those points will be reduced when the system is permanently implemented.
Sri Lanka already has legal provisions related to driver points system. The legal basis related to “Demerit Points System” was modified by the Motor Vehicle Act Amendment of 2017. However, there have been many years of work on the technical and administrative arrangements for implementation.
Now steps are being taken to implement this system using digital technology.
If the new scheme is successfully implemented, it will be possible to monitor not only the one-time mistake made by a driver but also the traffic violations committed by him continuously.
However, how the system will work in practice, how points will be calculated and when action will be taken against drivers will become more clear after the trial period ends.
The demerit point system is expected to be fully operational from 2027, with drivers getting a chance to familiarize themselves with the new system during a six-month trial period beginning on October 1.