Colombo, Feb 5 – The government has announced that Members of Parliament (MPs) will not be provided with official vehicles and must arrange their own transportation.
Speaking at the Cabinet media briefing, Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalin de Jayatissa stated that supplying vehicles to MPs is not a government priority, and there will be no imports of vehicles for this purpose.
He further clarified that this policy applies to both government and opposition MPs, who are expected to make their own arrangements for transportation.
While the government had previously planned to maintain a vehicle pool, allowing MPs to return their assigned vehicles after five years, Dr. Jayatissa revealed that the lack of available vehicles makes this plan unfeasible.
“At present, the government does not have sufficient vehicles to maintain such a system. Therefore, there is no possibility of providing vehicles to MPs,” he emphasized.
The decision is expected to generate mixed reactions among lawmakers, as transportation allowances and privileges have been a long-standing point of debate in the country.
