The English letters indicating the province on vehicle number plates will be removed when registering a new vehicle and transferring the ownership of a vehicle.

This will come into effect from January 01, 2023, the Commissioner-General of Motor Traffic Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasingha said addressing a media briefing today.

The letters to identify provinces are added to the number plates when registering vehicles to minimize the inconveniences at vehicular emission tests and annual revenue licence issuance.

However, both customers, as well as the Motor Traffic Department, have encountered many difficulties since the number plates have to be changed at each instance the right of the ownership of the vehicles are transferred between provinces.

Meanwhile, speaking on the demerit point system to be introduced for drivers, Mr. Weerasinghe stated that this initiative is expected to be implemented in the first quarter of 2023.

Accordingly, the proposed demerit point system will be forwarded to the Cabinet of Ministers for its approval after it is published in the government gazette in the first week of January.

The relevant points of the demerit points system will be deducted over traffic offences. If 24 such points are deducted, the driving license of the concerned driver will be suspended for one year.

Following the end of the suspension period, the drivers will have to go through the procedure from the beginning to obtain the driving license once again, he said further, adding that this is intended to reduce the number of lives claimed in motor accidents.

This is how the relevant points are deducted;

• 10 points will be deducted
- For driving without stopping the vehicle following a road accident.
- For not producing relevant documents to the traffic police officers
- For not rushing the people injured in the accident to the hospital
- For failing to report the accident to the nearest police station

• 08 points will be deducted
- For high-speed driving (above 150%)

• 06 points will be deducted
- For driving recklessly regardless of roadworthiness
- For driving without a valid insurance certificate
- For high-speed driving (from 30% to 50%)
- For reckless driving
- For careless driving

• 05 points will be deducted
- For high-speed driving (from 20% to 30%)

• 04 points will be deducted
- For high-speech driving (up to 20%)
- For not driving in the correct lane
- For overtaking a vehicle dangerously
- For not allowing to overtake
- For disobeying the traffic rules to be followed at a junction
- Reversing a vehicle over a long distance
- Failing to report a minor motor accident to the police
- Disobeying the signals of a traffic police officer

• 03 points will be deducted
- For turning on wrong signals or failing to turn on signals
- For using mobile phones while driving
- For failing to prevent an accident
- For not wearing seat belts