Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that there should be a proper regulatory mechanism for three-wheelers prior to increasing their weekly fuel quota.
According to him three-wheelers deployed in passenger transportation should be regulated before increasing the allocated fuel quota. Moreover it is not possible to increase the fuel quota for all three-wheelers without implementing a proper regulatory mechanism.
Currently all three-wheelers are issued five litres of petrol weekly. Three-wheeler owners, especially passenger transportation three-wheelers, are continuously clamouring for an increase in their weekly fuel quota.
Meanwhile the passenger three-wheeler union leaders stressed that they are not ready to reduce three-wheeler fares following the fuel price reduction until their weekly fuel quota is increased.
The first phase of the registration of professional three-wheelers will begin on November 1 in the Western Province.
Accordingly, from November 6, 10 litres of fuel per week will be provided to all passenger transporting three-wheelers in the Western Province.
According to Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) sources, almost 1.1 million three-wheelers have been registered with the QR system to obtain the weekly fuel quota.
Minister Wijesekera added that fuel quota can be increased for passenger transporting three-wheelers, but not for all these three-wheelers at once.
Meanwhile, at a meeting chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, held with the representatives of three-wheeler transport associations and officials of the Transport Ministry at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday, President Wickremesinghe gave directives to increase the weekly fuel quota of five litres for professional passenger transportation three-wheelers to 10 litres.
courtesy dailynews.lk
