National Transport Medical Institute in Nugegoda drew a large crowd today. So much that police had to place security at the institute.
The institute is a place which is regularly crowded on any day of the week,with people coming in to get their medical certification to obtain their driving licence. So why the sudden increase One explanation- the hefty Rs. 25,000 fine for driving without a valid driving licence imposed by the 2017 Budget.
The above incident proves one definite point: The country has a large number of drivers on the road, who are not licenced to drive. The decision to increase the fines of several traffic offences came in with a goal to increase the public safety and reduce accidents. A decision which has been under heavy fire by none-other-than bus drivers/owners, three-wheeler drivers and motorcyclists.
Chairman of the National Transport Medical Institute Rohana Pushpakumara said: “From what we have got to know, a large amount of drivers who have been driving without a valid licence and those who have been told that a licence will not be issued to those below the age of 25 are clamouring to get their licenses.”
The Chairman explained that unnecessary panic may cause some of the employees to respond with “some aggression” and that a request has been made to the Mirihana Police to provide police protection to the institutions because “it has now come to a point where applicants are getting into arguments and quarrels with the doctors.”
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