How It Works
How it works
Let’s Get You Driving a Tuktuk!
Here’s how anyone with a valid drivers licence can do it.
Book Your Tuk
Pick Your Extras
Get Your Local Licence
Plan Your Trip
Take Your Driving Lesson
Hit The Road
Since our first customers in 2016,
How Does
Tuktukrental.com Work?
TukTukRental.com is a social business. We rent tuktuks to travellers that want to experience Sri Lanka in a different way, but we don’t own any tuktuks ourselves. Instead, we source all our tuktuks from local tuktuk drivers who have some of the lowest salaries in Asia. We make sure everything from your arrival to departure is sorted out so you only have to worry about enjoying yourself.
Since our first customers in 2016, we have contributed over US$500,000 to more than 300 families in Sri Lanka.
Every tuktukrental.com booking includes
- A quality tuktuk supplied by a local to boost their income
- Comprehensive on-the-road manual covering driving tips, basic tuktuk maintenance, traveller information and island-wide accommodation discounts
- An exclusive digital map for your phone with hundreds of amazing secret things to do all over the island. Sourced from thousands of prior tuktuk travellers, this map is better than the Lonely Planet or TripAdvisor
- Comprehensive vehicle insurance
- Valid Sri Lankan driving permit
- Comprehensive driving lesson
- On-the-road travel kit
- 100% carbon neutral (we offset all km’s driven)
- Repair costs covered by tuktukrental.com while you’re on the road
- Unlimited km’s
- Pickup and dropoff locations ALL across the island
- Easy online payment options and digital deposit refund (credit card or bank transfer)
- 24/7 on the road support
- Pre-trip advice and planning
Tuk Tuk Driving in Sri Lanka
Is It Legal to Drive a Tuktuk in Sri Lanka?
Yes, as long as you have a licence to drive a car in your home country, you can legally drive a tuktuk in Sri Lanka. However, there are two essential things you need before you hit the road:
- A Sri Lankan driving permit
- Valid vehicle insurance
To drive a tuktuk safely, ethically, and hassle free in Sri Lanka, there are few more things we highly recommend:
- Use a safe and reliable tuktuk
- Take a comprehensive and personal driving lesson
- Have an on board travel and repair kit
- Have access to 24/7 on-the-road support and assistance
- Rent from a social business
- Offset your emissions
Tuktukrental.com provides all of the above through an easy to book online website.
Sri Lankan Driving Permit
Driving a tuktuk (or any vehicle) in Sri Lanka requires a special local licence. Sri Lanka is one of a few countries that don’t recognise international or foreign driving licences, so you must get a local Recognition Permit to drive legally in this country. Driving without a valid local permit can result in fines or possibly jail time.
If you are a tuktukrental.com customer, we will organise your local driving permit before you arrive. If you have multiple drivers, you simply need to select the number of licences you need from the extras section.
Anyone else can get this from the Automobile Association of Ceylon themselves, but you should allow half a day to get this done (depending on queues, business day opening hours and traffic in Colombo)
Valid Vehicle Insurance
Any vehicle you drive in Sri Lanka must be insured for the person who is driving it (note, most regular vehicle insurance plans won’t cover you as a third party driver). If you book your tuktuk through tuktukrental.com, you don’t need to worry about this, since all our vehicles have comprehensive insurance to cover foreign drivers as standard.
Our insurance covers all parties, including you (the driver), your passengers, your vehicle and any third-party vehicle and people you are implicated with. This is standard on all our vehicles and included in our price.
Personal Travel Insurance
Even though you are legally covered through our insurance, it’s still extremely important to have your own travel insurance in the unlikely event that you are seriously injured on the road and need a medical evacuation to your home country. No tuktukrental.com customer has been seriously injured before, but it’s nevertheless an important precaution to take.
When looking for an insurance policy, make sure you are covered for driving cars and motorcycles.
If you are looking for travel insurance that specifically covers tuktuks, we recommend SafetyWing. Prices start a $37/ 4 Weeks and include:
- Travel medical – Access a qualified global network of hospitals and doctors for unexpected medical problems and accidents. Includes coverage for: Doctors, Hospitals, Emergency medical evacuation.
- Travel – Includes coverage for: Travel delay, Lost checked luggage, Emergency response & natural disasters, Personal liability.
Comprehensive Driving Lesson
Before you set off on your own, we arrange a qualified tuktuk driver to give you a comprehensive driving lesson and overview of basic vehicle maintenance. We make sure you are comfortable driving a tuktuk and you are ready to hit the street like a pro!
This usually takes an hour, but if you’re taking a little longer to get used to the controls, our instructors will spend as much time as needed to get you driving safely.
On the Road Travel Kit
We provide a standard travel kit to get you on the road fast and keep you on the road longer. Our kit includes:
- Spare Tyre
- Basic Toolset
- Reserve Fuel Tank
- Lockable Storage Box
- USB Charging Port
- Phone Holder
Optional Extras
Apart from the standard travel kit, the following can be booked as optional extras:
- Big Bluetooth Speakers
- Surfboard roof racks
- Baby-seats
- Cooler / Esky
- Train transfer (we deliver your tuktuk while you enjoy some of Sri Lanka’s famous rail journeys).
100% Carbon Neutral
Repair Costs Covered
Unlimited Kilometres
Pick up or drop-off your tuktuk anywhere in Sri Lanka!
Want to pick-up in Kandy and drop off in Arugam Bay? No problem! We’ve got 27 pick-up and drop-off locations all over the island that you can choose from when making your reservation. If you’d like to request a location that isn’t on the list, just contact us and we’ll make it happen!
Our experienced driving instructors will drive your tuktuk to the requested location, together with your Sri Lankan driving licence and give you the driving lesson there.
