Automatic-Only Licence: Can't Legally Touch a Manual Car — Fair Rule or Overkill?

More new cars being sold here now are automatics — hybrids, EVs, even some vans — and a lot of first-time drivers are testing in one because it's easier to pass. Problem is, the licence you get only covers automatic vehicles. Drive a manual car, tuk, or lorry on that licence and you're committing an offence, full stop, even if you've driven one for years off-paper. One side says this is basic safety sense: someone who's never used a clutch shouldn't be thrown into Colombo traffic in a manual the first time something comes up. The other side says it's locking young drivers out of jobs — most three-wheelers, vans, and budget used cars on the road are still manual, so an auto-only licence can mean turning down work. If you or someone you know got the auto-only licence, did it ever actually stop you from driving a manual when you needed to? Does anyone actually get caught for this, or is it one of those rules nobody enforces? ඔයාලගේ අත්දැකීම මොකක්ද? auto licence එකෙන් manual එකක් ධාවනය කරලා තියෙනවද?