News

The Motor Traffic Department has urged buyers of used motor vehicles to register without delay the vehicles they have bought because of the security situation in the country.

This appeal comes in the wake of two recent incidents where the registrations of a motor cycle and a three-wheeler used by the LTTE for attacks in Colombo had not been effected in the name of their new owners.

In the case of Major General Parami Kulatunge’s killing, the motor cycle used by the suicide bomber, the registration had not been effected in the name of the new buyer. The registration of the three-wheeler used for the attempted assassination of the Pakistan High Commissioner had also not been effected in the name of the new owner.

Motor Traffic Department Commissioner B. Wijayaratne told The Sunday Times that the majority of vehicle transfers are not reported to his Department and as a result many people who buy used vehicles may have to face a number of problems.

He said around 300 people come daily to the Motor Traffic Department to transfer ownership of vehicles.

Mr. Wijayaratne said most people buy and sell their vehicles on open papers in which the buyer and the seller agree to do the transaction in an informal manner.

He said that though people adopt this practice to hide the fact that there were many owners of a particular vehicle, which information could bring down its monetary value, they have to be mindful about the danger of not officially transferring the registration of vehicles to the new owner.

“There have been cases where people who sold their vehicles had to face problems because the parties who bought them had used them for illegal activities,” he said.

Mr. Wijayaratne cautioned people not to sell their vehicles on open papers saying it was illegal and created problems. He said that given the current situation in the country it was very important that sellers intimate vehicle transfers to his department early.

A person who buys a used vehicle has to fill a form which is available at the Motor Traffic Department and at Divisional Secretariats and hand it over within 14 days from the transaction date. Accordingly the department informs the transferor to confirm the transfer and if he or she doesn’t have objections with regard to it, the transfer is permitted after 21 days from the notice.

Mr. Wijeratne said that there is no provision to penalize people who don’t officially transfer their vehicles or delay such transfers and added that his department is planning to amend the Motor Traffic Act so that defaulters could be fined.

Patrick Fernando from Mirigama who came to the Motor Traffic Department to get a lorry registration transferred to his name said he was doing it after a delay of three months.

Despite his delay he said it was very important that he registers the transfer with the department as otherwise he may have to face unnecessary problems in the future.

D.P.L Chandrapala from Kuruwita said he came to the Motor Traffic Department seven months after he bought a car from the seller and added he felt it was very necessary to inform the department about his purchase.

“I don’t want to get into unnecessary trouble by not registering with the department”, he said.

Both normal and one-day services for vehicle transfers are available at the Motor Traffic Department.

The charge for the transfer depends on the category of vehicles. For normal services Rs. 950 is charged for transferring motor cars and lorries, Rs.950 for dual purpose vehicles, Rs. 200 for motor cycles, Rs. 400 for land vehicles and Rs.400 for three-wheelers.

For the one-day service the charges are Rs.1700 for motor cars, lorries and dual purpose vehicles, Rs. 400 for motor cycles, Rs. 900 for land vehicles and Rs. 900 for three-wheelers.