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Experts recommend new vehicle imports to safeguard economy, environment standards
By: Staff Writer
December 05, Colombo (LNW): With vehicle import restrictions set to be lifted early next year, industry professionals are urging the Government to prioritize new vehicles over used ones, cautioning against the environmental, economic, and technological risks posed by an influx of outdated automobiles.
Concerns particularly surround older commercial vehicles, which experts say present significant challenges.
They noted that a five-year-old vehicle, having likely accumulated over 500,000 kilometers of usage, would be prone to frequent and expensive repairs on essential parts like engines, transmissions, and suspension systems.
While these costs might not be immediately obvious, recurring maintenance and replacement of parts would lead to substantial foreign currency outflows over time.
Experts presented four major arguments against importing older vehicles, emphasizing their environmental impact, economic inefficiency, technological obsolescence, and negative implications for Sri Lanka’s international reputation.
The environmental harm caused by vehicle emissions was a central concern. Experts explained that older vehicles emit significantly higher levels of pollutants compared to newer models, which use more refined fuels and advanced emissions control technologies.
Rapid advancements in automotive technology were another point of emphasis. Newer vehicles provide enhanced safety features, superior fuel efficiency, and better overall performance. Encouraging the importation of cheaper, outdated vehicles, they warned, would limit Sri Lankan consumers’ access to these innovations, leaving the country behind in technological progress.
Additionally, they raised a reputational issue, warning that Sri Lanka could become a dumping ground for obsolete vehicles from wealthier nations, similar to patterns seen in parts of Africa and India, where lax regulations have turned these regions into repositories for vehicles no longer desired in developed countries. “Do we want Sri Lanka to become a junkyard for outdated, inefficient, and environmentally harmful vehicles?” one expert asked.
From an economic standpoint, while used vehicles may seem appealing due to their lower upfront costs, their long-term expenses for maintenance and repairs—often compounded by a lack of warranties—outweigh the initial savings.
In contrast, new vehicles typically come with warranties of at least two years, minimizing unexpected costs during the early ownership period. This difference means that despite the higher purchase price, new vehicles are more cost-effective in the long run.
To address these issues, experts proposed stricter regulations on vehicle imports. They recommended enforcing high standards for emissions and safety, ensuring only vehicles meeting modern benchmarks could enter the market. They also suggested limiting the import of used vehicles to models no older than two years, rather than the current five-year threshold.
Specific recommendations were made for modifying vehicle import regulations, such as:
Reducing the maximum allowable age for trucks and tractors from five years to two years.
Limiting buses for transporting 25–35 passengers to models manufactured within the past two years.
These measures, they argued, would not only protect Sri Lanka’s environment and economy but also enhance consumer safety and elevate the overall quality of the nation’s vehicle fleet.
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