The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) expects to clear the backlog of driving licence cards and vehicle registration number plates by the middle of next year, Commissioner General Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Thushara Indunil Fernando has said.
The department currently has 673,000 driving licence cards awaiting issuance and a backlog of 958,651 vehicle registration number plates, officials informed the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development, chaired by Minister Bimal Rathnayake.
Fernando said a new contract had been awarded for the supply of two million driving licence cards, but the first consignment was expected only by the end of March 2027. Given the anticipated shortage, officials have proposed seeking Cabinet approval to purchase an additional 500,000 cards from the existing supplier.
The delay in issuing driving licence cards has been attributed to shortages of printing equipment and blank cards. The department’s existing stock of one million cards, ordered previously, is expected to be exhausted by January 2027.
The committee was also informed that the backlog of 958,651 vehicle registration number plates comprises applications received between January 1, 2025, and March 9, 2026.
Fernando said the number plate backlog could be cleared within seven to eight months if the existing contractor was assigned the necessary production work.
Minister Rathnayake instructed officials to take urgent measures to address the delays and improve the efficiency of issuing driving licence cards and vehicle registration number plates.
Meanwhile, the minister said the primary objective of the newly introduced pilot project on the driving licence penalty points system was to penalise motorists who repeatedly violate traffic regulations.
The six-month pilot programme is intended to raise public awareness and familiarise motorists with a system widely used internationally to promote road safety. It will continue until March 31, 2027.
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