DMT's Online Booking Is Back at Narahenpita — Will It Kill the Queue This Time?

The Department of Motor Traffic brought back online appointment booking at its Narahenpita office from November 2, covering new vehicle registrations, ownership transfers, licence work and technical issues, after walk-in crowds became unmanageable again. You can book through the DMT portal or by calling 117 116. Supporters say this is overdue — no more showing up at 5am to queue for a 9am counter, and you can lock a slot from your phone. Critics point to the last time this system ran: it crashed under demand, slots got grabbed by agents and brokers who then resold appointment times, and people who finally got in still sat for hours once inside. Rural owners without easy internet or a smartphone also say they're worse off than under the old first-come system, since brokers near Narahenpita are reportedly quicker online than ordinary people. Has anyone actually booked a slot since November 2 — did it go smoothly, or were slots gone within minutes and you're back to square one? If you got an appointment, how long did the actual counter work take once you were there? මේ online appointment එක ඔබට හරියට වැඩ කළාද, නැත්නම් කලින් වගේම පෝලිම් හා broker ප්‍රශ්නේ තියෙනවද?