Green Number Plates for EVs — Smart Idea or Just Confused the Police?

Since mid-2026, the DMT has been issuing green-background plates for every electric vehicle — cars, three-wheelers and e-bikes — under the Green Sri Lanka push, with tens of thousands already printed. Soon after rollout, several EV owners said traffic police pulled them over simply because officers had never seen a green plate before, forcing the DMT to publicly confirm the plates are legal and brief the Traffic DIG's office to stop the stops. Supporters say it's a small, visible way to flag zero-emission vehicles and could eventually unlock EV-only lanes, toll discounts or parking perks. Critics say it's pure cosmetics — a colour change that achieved nothing but giving traffic police one more reason to flag down innocent EV owners, while the real incentives like charging access, duty relief and spare parts matter far more than paint. If you're driving on a green plate, has it actually helped you anywhere, or just invited more questions at checkpoints? Is there a real perk SL should attach to these plates to make the colour mean something? ඔබේ විදුලි රථයේ කොළ පාට නම්බරය කිසියම් ප්‍රයෝජනයක් ගෙනදීලද, නැත්නම් පොලිසියෙන් තව ප්‍රශ්න විතරක්ද?