DMT's Dec 1 crackdown on 'open papers' sales — will it finally stop the burns?

From 1 December, the DMT says it will strictly enforce the rule that sellers must get the buyer's signature on the MT6 form and submit it, with the revenue licence and CR, within 14 days of a sale. For years plenty of private deals in Sri Lanka happened on open papers instead — buyer pays and drives off, but the vehicle stays registered in the seller's name because nobody wanted to queue up or pay transfer costs. Sellers who did this have been chased years later for CCTV camera fines, tolls and even police enquiries for a car they no longer own and can't trace. Buyers sometimes prefer open papers too, since it's quicker and cheaper if they plan to flip the vehicle again soon. The DMT says this isn't a new law, just enforcement of an old one that people have been ignoring for decades. Will stricter enforcement actually kill the open papers habit, or will people just find new workarounds? Ape kattiyen kauruwath 'open papers' nisa pasuwa kamata giyada – monawada vi dey?