Earlier, the inefficient service delivery of the Department of Transport Management had put thousands of applicants (service-seekers) waiting for ages to obtain a driving license. Applicants had to wait for a few years even, just to get an online appointment and go through all the hassles to fulfill all the necessary procedures to get a driving license. Consequently, many Nepali citizens haven’t had the opportunity to operate their personal transportation to its fullest and were compelled to ride without any license. Scenes of chaos persisted in the transportation offices, and citizens had to devote hours, sometimes even days, to register or renew a license or pay vehicle tax. It was not just about the inconvenience fronted by the average motorcycle to travel to and fro but also about many others for whom licensed motorcycles serve as a means of livelihood.
After federalization, the provincial government inherited the authority to receive applications, conduct examinations, and distribute driving licenses. Accordingly, the written and trial examinations for driving licenses have been launched in Biratnagar. In province no.1, the service available only in Itahari has been further expanded to Birtamod, Ilam, Dhankuta, Udayapur, and Biratnagar. Out of eight Transportation Office of province no.1, seven have started the distribution of licenses. This will undoubtedly help to ease the daily lives of many Nepalese in the eastern province.
Recently Bikalpa had an interview with Anmolmani Bhattarai, Office head of the Department of Transport Management service, Biratnagar, who mentioned that the department started the license renewal service on 12 June 2022. Then after, on 14 August 2022 online application form was opened in coordination with the Ministry of Transport. Department has designated the visit date for the service seekers on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and conducts trial examinations on Thursday and Friday by fixing the quotas. In total, 215 quotas are fixed every day. Of these, 100 are for motorcycles, 40 are for scooters, 50 for taxis, vans, cars, 25 for city rickshaws, tempo, and 15 for tractors. Bhattarai says that 50% of the examinees have passed the license test to date.
The Department of Transport Management Service Biratnagar was established on 26 February,2015. During the establishment period, the department carried out the work of bluebook renewal, yearly tax, road permit renewal, etc. After the authority was shifted to the provincial government, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development imparted the right of vehicle registration and ownership transfer to the Department of Transport Management. Recently, the department was conferred permission to issue a driving license.
Bhattarai further revealed that the procedure of obtaining a license had been altered. All applicants should make their user ID, fill in their description, and apply by selecting a suitable date and filling in their correct description in the application form. He said that 215 quotas are not sufficient for Biratnagar. But due to a lack of human resources, the department of transport in Biratnagar is compelled to limit the quotas. The printing of smart driving licenses is still executed by the transport department of Kathmandu, because of which license holders must wait a long time to receive these cards.
Mr. Bhattarai set forth that there is a great role of civil society, like Bikalpa an Alternative, in simplifying the hassles faced in acquiring a driving license by the service seekers. Bikalpa continuously warned and called attention to the concerned authority and stakeholders through different activities like dialogues and street campaigns, said Bhattarai.
Bikalpa has been advocating the issue of driving licenses for a very long time through various tactics. Bikalpa has published articles conveying opinions regarding the hassles faced by service seekers and offering suggestions and pieces of advice to the concerned authority. In the same manner, research titled “Acquiring driving license in Nepal: A policy Fiasco”, was carried out by the research team to do a detailed analysis of the effect of delaying license distribution in Nepal. In addition to that, Bikalpa organized a stakeholders’ public forum on problems in acquiring motorcycle licenses and possible solutions to bring the issue to the limelight and concern authority for its addressal. The program was telecasted by Makalu Television and was also covered by different online and newsprint media. Apart from this, a street campaign was organized by Bikalpa which was supported by many youths of Biratnagar. It was conducted to sensitize a greater mass. Bikalpa used visual media and made videos to facilitate the changes in the hurdles faced by the citizens because of lingering procedures to get a license.
