Sri Lanka will begin a six-month pilot programme for a driver demerit-points system on October 1, as authorities prepare to introduce a new mechanism for tracking repeated traffic offences.
The pilot is scheduled to continue until March 31, 2027.
Officials say the system currently covers 33 traffic offences.
The programme is being implemented with the involvement of the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Sri Lanka Police, Department of Motor Traffic, Ministry of Digital Economy, LankaPay, GovTech and other relevant institutions.
How the system is intended to work
Under the proposed system, different traffic offences are linked to different demerit values.
The digital infrastructure is intended to connect offence records and traffic-fine payments with drivers' demerit information.
Drivers are expected to receive information on the points associated with an offence through payment documentation and digital notifications.
The broader system is intended to allow repeated traffic offending to affect a driver's licence status once the permanent framework is operational.
Pilot period is important
The October-to-March period is a pilot, intended to allow motorists, enforcement authorities and the technology platform to become familiar with the system before full implementation.
Codex must verify the precise operational rules immediately before publication.
In particular, do not state that actual licence-affecting point deductions will definitely be enforced during the pilot unless the final Transport Ministry/DMT rules explicitly confirm this.
Not a replacement for traffic fines
The demerit-points system should not be described as a new traffic-fine schedule.
Traffic fines remain a separate enforcement mechanism.
The points framework is intended as an additional way of monitoring repeated traffic offending.
It also should not be described as fully operational nationwide before the October 1 pilot begins.