Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Thushara Indunil Fernando of the Sri Lanka Air Force has been appointed Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic.
Fernando assumed duties on Tuesday morning at the department’s head office on Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 05, Ada Derana reported.
The formal commencement was held under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, with religious observances conducted by the Maha Sangha led by Ven. Kirinde Assaji Thero, Chief Incumbent of the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.
What the report does not say
Ada Derana’s account is confined to the ceremony. It did not name Fernando’s predecessor, say when the post fell vacant or why, give his Air Force background or previous appointments, or set out any priorities for the department.
No other verified newsroom carried the appointment at the time of writing.
The department he inherits
The Department of Motor Traffic issues driving licences, registers vehicles and maintains the national vehicle database — functions that touch most households and that have been under sustained pressure.
Vehicle registrations have surged since import restrictions were relaxed, and vehicle and fuel imports have been reported as a driver of the widening trade deficit. The tax structure governing vehicles also remains contested, with the engine displacement regime criticised for restricting hybrid choices while favouring electric vehicles.
Appointing a retired senior military officer to head a civilian service department is a familiar pattern in Sri Lankan public administration rather than a departure from it, and Ada Derana did not present it as unusual.
