Rival Tuk Drivers Blocking PickMe Pickups in Ella & Sigiriya — Whose Side Are You On?

In tourist towns like Ella, Weligama and Sigiriya, regular three-wheeler drivers have been blocking, threatening and in some cases damaging the vehicles of drivers who work through PickMe and Uber, saying app fares are undercutting the local trade. PickMe has publicly said police aren't acting on complaints, and a government minister has promised enforcement, but there's still no single authority regulating either the app platforms or the wider three-wheeler sector. One side: a flat stand fare of around Rs 200 for the first km barely covers fuel, loan instalments and daily upkeep the way a Rs 80-100/km app rate doesn't, and drivers who've waited years at the same stand feel they're being undercut on their own turf. The other side: a driver's choice to join an app and charge less isn't something another driver gets to punish with threats, and tourists scared off by trouble at the stand hurts every three-wheeler's income, not just the app driver's. If you drive a tuk — stand, app, or both — has this actually hit your daily earnings, and what would fair ground rules between the two sides look like? ඔබ ත්‍රිරෝද රථයක් ධාවනය කරනවා නම්, මෙය ඔබේ දිනපතා ආදායමට සැබවින්ම බලපෑවාද?