The Sri Lanka Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) is grappling with a serious shortage of vehicle number plates and persistent disruptions in its outdated vehicle registration system, resulting in major inconveniences for vehicle owners and delays in essential services.
As of May 15, 2025, the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic confirmed a nationwide shortage of number plates, just months after the department had claimed the issue was resolved in late 2024.
The root cause appears to be a breakdown in procurement processes—specifically, the expiration of a supply contract without securing a replacement.
In response, the department has authorized temporary measures, allowing new vehicle owners to display handwritten registration numbers based on letters issued by the DMT since April 28.
Simultaneously, the DMT’s vehicle registration and transfer system, developed in 1996, continues to face frequent crashes due to its inability to cope with growing volumes of data and frequent human errors.
The most recent crash, which occurred last week, brought all DMT operations to a halt for over 24 hours, leaving new vehicle buyers frustrated as delays in receiving registration certificates and number plates grew worse.
Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe acknowledged the system’s limitations, noting that the existing software is outdated and incapable of meeting current demands.
He stressed the urgent need for a fully digitized and integrated registration platform, which would allow seamless interaction between DMT and other departments, such as those handling insurance and driving licenses.
The outdated system is also linked to other serious issues. Reports have emerged of fraudulent issuance of registration certificates using blank, unassigned numbers, as well as the registration of vehicles with cancelled diplomatic number plates—both resulting in significant revenue losses to the government.
Efforts to overhaul the system have faced a series of setbacks. A contract signed in 2018 with a Sri Lankan firm and its foreign partner to implement a new Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR)-based solution has remained dormant due to alleged internal resistance and corruption. Some DMT staff have been interdicted and are now under investigation by the Bribery Commission and the CID.
The original system, created by a local software company, was maintained until December 2024, after which the government declined to renew the contract, citing concerns about corruption. Since January 2025, the system has been operated solely by DMT personnel, further straining operations due to a lack of technical support.
Amid this turmoil, the Finance Ministry is considering a new, fully digital registration platform that would integrate all motoring-related services. However, until such reforms are implemented, ongoing initiatives—including a proposed e-driving license—remain stalled.
As Sri Lanka’s motor traffic infrastructure struggles to modernize, vehicle owners are left to navigate inefficiencies and delays, highlighting the urgent need for systemic reform and effective governance at the Department of Motor Traffic.
