60% of Registered Vehicles not in Running Condition: DMT

[gayanath]

The sad truth ............

What should be done ??

 

Quote: 

Sixty per cent of the total vehicles registered at the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) is not in good running condition, DMT Assistant Commissioner J.A.S. Jayaweera said.

Speaking at the media briefing during the ‘Fifth National Accident Prevention Week’ Mr Jayaweera said 8.1 million vehicles were registered with the Department.

“4.6 million Motorcycles and 1.1 million three-wheelers were registered at the Department. 80% of the total registrations were personal vehicles,” he said.

Fifty per cent of the registered vehicles which not in good running condition were categorised under motorcycles and three-wheelers.

Though the vehicle registrations reached 8.1 million, there is no sufficient road capacity in the country. At present, the road capacity is 112,000 km. 

http://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/60-of-registered-vehicles-not-in-running-condition-DMT/108-191503

.......... unQuote.

[iRage]

Well...some people would not have money to fix it properly and others will not care. So perhaps establish something like MOT/Shaken inspections so that they people are compelled to fix it. But then there is the case of not having money....perhaps give tax credit ? (which maybe even can be linked to small loans?)

I don't know....the cars cannot be simply ripped off the road.

[gayanath]

5 minutes ago, iRage said:

I don't know....the cars cannot be simply ripped off the road.

Agreed.... 

However, we lost 10 lives (majority is younger's) per day on roads  + considerable numbers of disables. I guess, unsafe vehicles (+ unsafe practices like overloading, projections, etc.) responsible for at-least 40% out of them and remained due to nonsense driving, negligence, and other courses. 

So, its high time to act.....

[ajm]

very simple.

1.implement a age and carbon emissions based tax where older vehicles with higher capacity would be more expensive to run.

2.Provide tax concessions on new eco-friendly vehicles to encourage people to switch.

Edited July 9, 2020 by ajm

[mazdaspeed]

Agree on the number of accidents - majority due to carelessness, recklessness  and not having understood the basics from driving schools on the principles. Getting a license in SL is the most easiest thing - compared to other continues. Bikes are safe vehicles .

Just  yesterday - signals put well in advance to tun to left to a narrow road form a major road, Bike fellow overtakes me from the left and tuns- my reflexes are generally good  Still ( Touchwood) so managed not to hit him. 

Bikes are safe vehicles till you become stupid

 

[matroska]

49 minutes ago, gayanath said:

Agreed.... 

However, we lost 10 lives (majority is younger's) per day on roads  + considerable numbers of disables. I guess, unsafe vehicles (+ unsafe practices like overloading, projections, etc.) responsible for at-least 40% out of them and remained due to nonsense driving, negligence, and other courses. 

So, its high time to act.....

well re the accidents most of the time the main culprit is retarded driving - unsafe vehicles contribute yes but the first point should be a point based demerit system that would mean your licence gets cancelled for repeated offenders. For commercial drivers i.e Tuk guys, Bus drivers this would impact their livelihood hence they'll be extra careful.

[iRage]

2 hours ago, ajm said:

very simple.

1.implement a age and carbon emissions based tax where older vehicles with higher capacity would be more expensive to run.

2.Provide tax concessions on new eco-friendly vehicles to encourage people to switch.

Not that simple...Logical but practically challenging.

New cars, hybrid or otherwise, are too expensive to purchase. So much so that it might be cheaper to just pay the extra taxes and keep the old car running.  Lets not forget we are talking about people who use their old cars because that is what they can afford. So if you set an age limit like 13 years...then you have to make sure that cars that are less than 13 years depreciate enough that it can be affordable for those who had older cars.

By putting an age limit it might actually drive up the price of second hand cars that are lesser than a certain age limit and drastically reduce those that are nearing the age limit, which again would have consequences. 

Even then people might actually have to down grade the category of car. People are not going to do that (i.e. better to drive a 15 year old Corolla than a 1 year old Wagon R) so there are going to be some issues there. 

Then...even if people were willing to down grade...that means a large number of cars need to be bought down. Seriously doubt the country can afford that ever considering the foreign currency drainage that would be needed.

Then there is the other fact..and this is the bigger one...bad condition does not necessarily mean the car is old. There are plenty of Vitzies and Allions and Premios that are only 4 or 5 years old that are death traps AND are running on poor tires, brake pads, etc...because of poor and cheap maintenance.

But yes...there needs to be some discouraging factor for people who can afford it to go for a new car....but having done that there also needs to be some mechanism for those who cannot afford a new car to be able to fix up their cars properly at a reasonable price. A stringent inspection and road worthy certification would be needed so hat even if the car is old..it is road worthy.

As for accidents....yes....as some other have mentioned...the bad drivers need to be taken off the road and properly trained and re-licensed. 

 

[top tip]

Well i don't agree with the fact that old cars are not safe or not in compliance to modern motoring standards. I own a Mercedes Benz that is almost 30 years old and yet it has ABS brakes. I know certain japanese so called "premium"cars that didn't have these features until recently where the japanese regulations enforced certain active safety features be mandatory. Ive been using my car for the past 15 years or so and yet even though being a diesel it never failed an emission test yet.

It all comes down to how well you maintain your car and that will intern reflect whether itis road legal or not. proper care and timely maintenance will ensure an extended car life. In western countries such as UK, each year the car has to undergo a rigorous MOT test. This ensures whether or not a car is road legal regardless of its age. SL should implement a similar practice without complaining about the road legality.

It is also quite expensive for an SL citizen to replace his old car for a new one. This is a country where a new passenger car is charged with 400% tax so already when these cars hit the SL shores they are inflated and prices are sky rocketed. I can remember back in 1985 a hiace van (LH-71) was bought by my dad for staff transportation which was later used for school services as well cost only 3.60 lakhs. today the equivalent KDH 223 costs 110 lakhs. So how can someone like a school van driver carry out his profession if he has to replace his non road legal vehicle with a new one because I know for a fact that if you inspect school vans the majority of them will have worn tires, brake pads and Imbalanced or malfunctioning brakes and botched reapairs as well.

Also there are certain people who repair cars that have been met with accidents that are almost considered condemned. Yet the talented SL  bass repairs it to a level that the previous damages are almost invisible. In western countries these vehicles will be simply written off since a knowledgeable person knows that once a cars crumple zone had undergone a certain deformation, it will no longer be able to absorb the same impact. But these cars are extensively repaired here because for a fact that new cars are exuberantly high priced to purchase.

So unless there is proper automotive practices and a revival of the economy where cars simply become more affordable, my guess is that things will never change.

Edited July 11, 2020 by top tip

[gayanath]

33 minutes ago, top tip said:

Well i don't agree with the fact that old cars are not safe or not in compliance to modern motoring standards. I own a Mercedes Benz that is almost 30 years old and yet it has ABS brakes. I know certain japanese so called "premium"cars that didn't have these features until recently where the japanese regulations enforced certain active safety features be mandatory. Ive been using my car for the past 15 years or so and yet even though being a diesel it never failed an emission test yet.

Agreed. Having ABS (or not) not matters for road worthiness...  But as you also said, the level and quality of repair and maintenance matters...... 

 

Quote

I can remember back in the 85 a hiace van (LH-71) was bought by my dad for staff transportation which was later used for school services as well cost only 3.60 lakhs. today the equivalent KDH 223 costs 110 lakhs. So how can someone like a school van driver carry out his profession if he has to replace his non road legal vehicle with a new one because I know for a fact that if you inspect school vans the majority of them will have worn tires, brake pads and Imbalanced or malfunctioning brakes.

Solution: Tax concession for School vans

Consequences : Car sales will import vans under "School van" category and then modify for general purpose. Who cares law an order in this country??.  If my memory serves me correct, there was a tax concession for mobile workshops then vehicle importers  modified vans as mobile workshops in japan and imported here and then converted again. 

Quote

So unless there is proper automotive practices and a revival of the economy where cars simply become more affordable, my guess is that things will never change.

Same time, there should be ways to, 

1. Discourage taking the car out from the garage unless its essential - In other words good Public transportation 

2. Discourage buying cars - 

      2.1 - More Affordable means also good sign for faster depreciation which ultimately discourage buying new one

Otherwise, do our economy could cater a vehicle import boom ??

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by gayanath

[Magnum]

Maybe the vehicles would be in better condition if they fix the roads properly

[Skyonline]

Worst Rated Indian Cars By Global NCAP, which sold in Sri Lanka

1. Maruti Suzuki Alto
2. Maruti Suzuki Celerio
3. Renault Kwid
4. Datsun Go
5. Maruti Suzuki Swift

Link - 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gomechanic.in/blog/10-worst-rated-indian-cars-by-global-ncap/%3famp

Edited July 11, 2020 by Skyonline