Tuk-tuks future gloomy with zero imports
Sri Lanka’s 3-wheeler imports has dropped to almost zero level owing to the government’s strict vehicle import ban with only 19 new registrations of tuk tuks during January-August 2022, a sharp drop for the first time in over four decades, a top official of the Motor Traffic Department (MTD) said.
MTD Commissioner General Nishantha Weerasinghe told the Business Times only 2,093 3-wheelers were registered with the department last year.
According to MTD statistics 7,150 3-wheelers in 2020, 15,490 in 2019 and 20,063 in 2018 had been registered at the department. He revealed that a total of over 1.18 million 3-wheelers are registered with the department thus far but only around 500,000 to 800,000 were in running conditions at present.
In the Colombo district, 3-wheeler drivers usually earn Rs 2000-3000 a day and in other districts, some were able to earn around Rs 500 per day.
At present their daily income has come down due to the 5-litre weekly quota under QR system and the drop in the number of passengers travelling in 3-wheelers as they cannot afford high fares.
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