Electric tuk tuks for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka plans to bid farewell to fossil fuel three wheelers by increasing taxes on the import of tuk tuks while promoting electric three wheelers. It also planned to export the excess fossil fuel vehicles to Bangladesh.

Import taxes on a diesel three wheeler will rise by around Rs. 50,000 in order to encourage the transition to environmentally friendly electric three wheelers, 2018 budget proposal revealed.

The government’s plan is to reduce carbon emissions to a considerable level by 2025 and completely go green by the year 2045, Minister Mangala Samarweera told a post budget meeting in Colombo on Thursday.

There are 1.5 million three wheelers on local roads and the government’s intention is to take out all those three wheelers from operation by providing electric tuk tuks on easy payment terms, he disclosed.

The government will introduce 90 to 10 per cent ratio when purchasing electric tuk tusk on lease basis, he said adding that non-roadworthy three wheelers will be discarded and sold as scrap and other tuk tuks exported to countries like Bangladesh which is willing to purchase it at reasonable prices.

Bangladesh has already expressed willingness to buy Sri Lanka’s used tuk tuks, he disclosed.