Minister of Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake, revealed that nearly 60% of drivers in Colombo’s passenger transport sector are struggling with drug addiction. He shared this information during a special meeting focused on transport, highways, and urban development in the Kandy District. The Minister reported that in 2025, there were 2,700 road accidents that resulted in the same number of deaths. Out of these fatalities, almost 2,000 involved pedestrians, motorcyclists, and pillion riders, with 53% of the deceased being male. He explained that drivers contributed to about 50% of these accidents, and many have been found to be under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs. Furthermore, bus associations have started to report more cases of drug use among their drivers, estimating that roughly 60% are addicted to narcotics. “We used mobile labs to check around 53 buses at Bastian Mawatha, where 10 drivers tested positive for drugs, showing that about 16% of drivers were using narcotics,” he stated. However, he pointed out that the real number could be higher since many drivers did not show up for work the next day, indicating they might be trying to avoid testing. The Minister stressed that the government is ready to offer rehabilitation and treatment for those who want help, but strict actions will be taken against those who break the law. “We will start the required legal processes. In the future, even those with heavy vehicle licenses will need proper authorization to operate passenger transport services. A special license will be given after completing training, and only those who earn this certification will be allowed to work in passenger transport,” he added.
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