Police Crackdown on Illegal Vehicle Modifications

When talking about vehicle modifications in Sri Lanka, there is truly a blurred picture. The reason for this is that although certain criteria have been hinted at within the legal framework, there has been a failure to implement them definitively.

We believe that personalizing a vehicle according to the owner's needs is a right. However, it is mandatory that other motor vehicle operations do not cause inconvenience to pedestrians and passengers.

In the past few months, there has been a significant increase in road accidents. Among these were the accident in the Badulla area where an unroadworthy bus killed two students from Kotelawala Defense University, and a bus overturning into a ravine in Hatton due to driver negligence, killing three people. Unauthorized modifications have been revealed as a reason for the increased damage in these incidents during investigations.

Based on the above incidents, Traffic OICs have been instructed to conduct 2 operations daily, each lasting 2 hours, in all police divisions starting from 2025.01.02, to ensure road safety. Through these raids, vehicle roadworthiness checks will include:

• Color changes
• Examination of installed flickering lights of various colors
• Use of various horns
• Display of various paintings, designs, and advertisements
• Illegal fittings and design modifications

It has been announced that all of the above will be subject to investigation. MotorGuide respectfully informs you that if your vehicle has been modified in a way that reflects the above points, please ensure it is done within the legal framework, and take steps to remove all non-legal modifications.

It is our wish that everyone commits to creating a more developed transport system in the country through a safe driving environment.