1,775 New Double Cabs for MPs — Taxpayer Perk or Public Sector Excess?

The 2026 budget scrapped tax-free vehicle permits for MPs and replaced them with taxpayer-funded double cabs instead, with roughly Rs 12.5 billion set aside for the switch. The tender to buy 1,775 diesel double cabs closed on November 4, after a bidding window critics say was compressed from the usual 42 days down to about 12, raising questions about who even had time to submit a competitive bid. Supporters call it progress: no more MPs quietly selling off duty-free permits for personal profit, and every vehicle gets handed back to the state when a term ends instead of staying with the individual. Critics say it's still public money buying nearly 1,800 brand-new vehicles for people who already get drivers, fuel allowances and security vehicles, money that could have gone to rural roads or buses instead. Is 'use-and-return' actually a reform, or just the same perk with a new name? What would you have done with that budget instead? ඇමතිවරුන්ට නිදහස් බලපත්‍ර නැතුව ගියත්, අලුත් කැබ් දීම තුළින් මොන වෙනසක්ද තියෙන්නේ?