Senior Superintendent of Police Mangala Dehideniya, in charge of the Nugegoda Division, made a request to Justice Minister Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara at the Colombo District Coordination Committee to take steps to ban the driving licenses of drivers of vehicles transporting passengers using intoxicants.
He made this request when the Colombo District Coordination Committee met under the patronage of its Chairman, MP Lakshman Nipunaarachchi.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dehideniya pointed out that such drivers will be arrested and produced in court, fined and released. He further said that such drivers will again engage in passenger transport activities using drugs as before and this situation is very dangerous.
“These people use drugs like heroin and ice to operate buses, three-wheelers and other passenger transport services. We arrest them and present them to the forensic doctor. We arrest 9 or 10 such drivers a day along with forensic medical reports. Some courts impose a small fine and release them.
When a driver is presented with a case of consuming drugs and being involved in passenger transport, some courts suspend the driver’s license. It varies from court to court. Some courts impose fines and send them away. This is why some problems arise in controlling this,” Superintendent of Police Dehideniya pointed out to the Minister.
The Minister asked him to inform the Judicial Services Commission in this regard and provide the relevant request in writing so that some action can be taken.