Application for driving license to be opened within May

The Department of Transportation is preparing to open license applications within May. After that, the department claims to start regular and smooth distribution of smart vehicle licenses.

According to the spokesperson of the department, Ishwari Dutta Paneru, it is estimated that by the end of May, all the license offices will have already taken the examination of those who fill the form. Online application has been closed for transport offices across the country since April 1.

The department plans to stop intermediaries by making it possible for a person with a citizenship number to fill up an online application only once. Now it is ready to allow the application for license only by making a regulatory arrangement online.

In the application system, the applicants will be able to see the available vacancies within 15 days in any of the transport offices across the country and they will be able to apply online and pay the fee immediately by applying at the office of their choice.

"The director general had asked the technical team to prepare a systematic application system within the first week of May," she said. "If there is no technical problem, the license application will open in the second week of May."

Announcing his progress report for the last one year on April 25, Director General of the Department Namaraj Ghimire said that about 280,000 licenses for the year 2021 and around 100,000 for the year 2022 are yet to be printed. According to spokesperson Paneru, the printing of the remaining licenses is expected to be completed within a month.

The department had sent a proposal to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport saying that the work of printing smart licenses could be given to the private sector just like passports. If not given to the private sector, the department suggested that printing machines, infrastructure and manpower should be added to the department.

Informing that a one-year trial license is being issued for those who have passed the trial and made a new license, the department has claimed that those who renew will get a smart license within a month after the new application is opened. The department also claims that it can be delivered to the house for a fee.

Earlier, 572,000 service recipients who had already filled the form were stopped from taking new forms saying that they would be included in the examination after it became uncertain when they would get their turn. Ghimire has been saying that arrangements will be made to take the exam within 15 days of filling the form.

Stating that other states except Bagmati are going to start trial on the basis of score, the department said that the distribution of licenses will be easier after the implementation of this provision.