KATHMANDU: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has completed printing all the smart licenses that had been delayed earlier. As per the department,smart licenses for all the applications that were sent to it from various transport offices till July have been printed. Along with the new licenses DoTM has also printed those smart licenses of applications that were sent for renewal of old licenses.
There has been a problem in the distribution of smart licenses for the last four years due to delay in printing. However, due to the lockdown, the issuance of new licenses has almost stopped and the department has been able to print the all the licenses.
The examination for new driving licenses has been halted in al provinces due to the coronavirus pandemic and the renewal process has also slowed. This reduced the pressure on the DoTM to print licenses.
After being massively criticized, the department had earlier bought a mass printer from Italy so that it could speed up the printing of smart licnses.
According to Tirtha Raj Khanal, spokesperson for the department, from now on those who are eligible to receive the smart driving license will be able to obtain one within a month after completing the due legal process. He said that it takes a month to print a license and send it to the concerned state by post.
“There is no need now to print licenses in the old format,” he said.
Transport offices have said that many people have not come to renew their licenses as they have been stuck at home due to the lockdown. Even those who already have licenses but need permission to add other categories of vehicles have not approached the transport offices of late.