The police of Sri Lanka has issued new regulations for companies that rent out three-wheeled vehicles - known as tuk-tuks - to tourists. The aim of these measures is to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving foreign drivers.
With the increase in tourists driving tuk-tuks themselves, the number of accidents has also risen, according to the police. Investigations have shown that many of these tourists have neither the necessary driving experience nor valid driving licenses.
Therefore, the following applies with immediate effect: Tourists wishing to hire a tuk-tuk must be able to present one of the following three documents:
A valid Sri Lankan driver's license
An internationally recognized driving license that is valid in Sri Lanka and includes driving tricycles
A valid driver's license from your home country
The police have criticized the fact that some rental companies are profiting from the lack of controls and are specifically renting to tourists without valid documents. Anyone who violates the new regulations must expect legal consequences.
If a tourist is driving a tuk-tuk without the appropriate license, the police are authorized to take a statement from the vehicle owner and take legal action. Leaving a vehicle to an unauthorized person is now considered a criminal offence - a fine of 25,000 rupees may be imposed.
The police appeal to rental companies to check their customers' driving licenses carefully before handing over a vehicle.
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