CBSL Capped Car Loans at 40% to Protect Banks — Fair, or Locking Out First-Time Buyers?

The Central Bank cut the maximum loan-to-value ratio on car, SUV and van loans from 50% to 40% back in May, with three-wheeler and commercial vehicle caps trimmed too. CBSL's reasoning: vehicle and gold loans had grown to make up close to a quarter of the entire financial sector's lending, and regulators wanted banks cushioned if used-car prices or incomes turn down. Most lenders have welcomed it as overdue discipline after years of easy financing chasing prices higher. The other side of it: a family that could manage a 50% down payment on a Rs 3m Wagon R now needs to find Rs 1.8m up front instead of Rs 1.5m. That either pushes first-time buyers out of the market completely, or toward informal lenders charging far worse rates than any bank would. Protecting the banking system is one legitimate goal; keeping basic transport affordable for ordinary earners is another — this rule picks a side between them. Did the new cap actually change what you could afford, or did you just settle for a cheaper car, a private loan, or decide to wait it out? ණය අනුපාතය 40%ට අඩු කිරීම බැංකු ආරක්ෂා කළත්, සාමාන්‍ය ගැණුම්කරුවාට දැන් මුදල් සොයාගැනීම අමාරුයි නේද?