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New vehicle number plate backlog needs to be addressed with speed
Daily FT
|February 21, 2026
ACCORDING to data released this week, Sri Lanka's vehicle registrations rose to a record high in January, driven by a strong demand for two-wheelers and a steady expansion in the secondary market.
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Total registrations climbed to 55,365 units in January, up from 48,525 units in December, according to JB Securities, with two-wheelers accounting for 64% of the market.Amidst this, the long delay to award a contract to manufacture Sri Lanka's new vehicle number plates has led to a backlog of unissued plates which have pushed beyond 200,000 vehicles. Due to these new vehicles on the road use their own personalised number plates using the registration number given by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT). The failure to award a contract after more than a year exposes the ability of this Government to act decisively and promptly on important decisions.
This story is from the February 21, 2026 edition of Daily FT.
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