smart driving licenses in Nepal. Image Credit: OnlineKhabar

Over 1.5 Lakh People Awaiting Smart Driving Licenses across the Nation

The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) had started the distribution of smart driving licenses across the nation since the month of July this year. However, due to the shortage of smart cards, the DoTM has not been able to provide smart driving licenses to more than 150, 000 people across the country.

The service seekers, including those who have passed the driving trial examination and those seeking renewal of their old license, have been awaiting their smart driving licenses for almost six months now.

The government has failed to ensure the availability of smart cards and because of that, many riders on the streets break into cold sweat every time they come across traffic police checkpoints. Many applicants of the smart driving licenses have to face hassles at traffic checkpoints just because they are not provided with the digital license.

The government officials said that the applicants will have to wait until the end of December to get their smart driving licenses, as the agency printing smart cards are unlikely to supply the digital cards before that.

Tok Raj Pandey, Spokesperson for DoTM said, “Digital license distribution has been affected due to lack of smart cards. We are doing our best to resume the service as soon as possible.”

Following the shortage of smart cards, DoTM had awarded the contract of printing and supplying additional 750,000 smart driving licenses to Madras Security Printers of India. The Indian company has to start supplying smart cards to the government by the end of December.

DoTM has been accusing the previous management of the department for the scarcity of smart cards. The DoTM management has been saying that the earlier administration did not issue a tender for smart cards in the last fiscal, even though the government had allocated NPR. 160 million for the purpose, which resulted in the funds remaining frozen.

However, Pandey is optimistic that smart driving licenses will be distributed will smoothly after the government starts getting the new lot of smart cards from the Indian company.

Mr. Pandey said, “We are also preparing to issue another tender soon to purchase smart cards and printing machines in bulk. This will ensure that service-seekers will not face any problem in getting their smart driving licenses in future.”

It is really upsetting to see the poor Government service. I too am waiting for my digital license for four months now, and it is really frustrating to know that one has to wait for so long to receive their driving license.

Now that the officials have targeted the end of December to get the smart cards ready, we hope all those who are waiting will be provided with their digital license.

 

Reference: The Himalayan Times
Featured Image Source: OnlineKhabar