Army combat bike riders instructed to exhibit number plates when engaging in civil matters

Director media of the Army, Brigadier Nilantha Premaratne told the Times online that the commander of the Army General Shavendera Silva has instructed the Army combat riders to exhibit number plates on their bikes when they engage with civilian related matters.

The Army commander has made the instructions following an incident that occurred yesterday where a set of army bike riders were assaulted by the police after they rode towards people protesting at the parliament in bikes that did not have number plates.

Protesters agitated about the army combat riders while the police, which were engaged in crowd control, stopped them and inquired about the individuals who wore full masks and were armed with assault weapons.

Brigadier Premaratne added that earlier when the army bike riders were deployed during the pandemic period the bikes usually did not display number plates. He pointed out that the number plates are used but they are not visible.

“During the war period we used the bikes without exhibiting number plates,” he said.