Vehicle owners may be required to obtain a roadworthiness certificate either after every 5,000 kilometres or within a period of approximately three months under a proposed system to improve vehicle safety, Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), retired Air Marshal Thushara Fernando, said.He said the proposal was still under discussion and had been referred to the legal division, with implementation expected early next year.

The proposed system would introduce mandatory roadworthiness tests in addition to the existing vehicle emissions tests.“We have already called for applications from garages to conduct these tests and will designate those that meet the specified criteria,” he said.

The proposal was put forward by the Minister’s advisers, with the relevant authorities now considering the legal and administrative arrangements required for its implementation.The initiative comes amid renewed attention to road safety following a major accident in Akurana. However, the proposed testing system has yet to be finalized.