Shops Sell 48cc Mopeds as 'No Registration Needed' — DMT Says That's a Lie

48cc automatic mopeds have been pushed hard in Sri Lanka as the cheap, hassle-free option for students and gig riders — some shops openly tell buyers no registration or licence is needed because the engine is so small. The Department of Motor Traffic has now warned this is false: every 48cc motorcycle must be registered before it goes on a public road, and riders caught without papers can be fined on the spot, no matter what the seller promised. One side says it's unfair to punish the buyer — they paid in good faith, trusted the shop, and some only chose that bike because they were told there'd be no registration cost or licence test to deal with. The other side says ignorance of the law isn't an excuse, and the real fix is going after sellers who mislead customers, not just fining riders stuck holding an unregistered bike. Did you or anyone you know get caught out by this? What did the shop tell you, and did you check with the DMT yourself before buying? ඔබේ 48cc bike එක register කළාද, නැත්නම් කඩේ කිව්ව දේම විශ්වාස කළාද?