November 30: In order to streamline the management and services in the transport sector, the Department of Transport Management on Monday introduced credit-card size 'smart driving license card' by scrapping the paper element of the older version of driving license.

The Department took the decision to digitize the motorists' records by replacing the older driving license by new credit-card size license. The decision was taken with support of the Asian Development Bank and in coordination with Information and Communications Technology Development Project which is operated directly under the aegis of Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar launched the new digitized license card amidst a programme here in the capital city and said that the new system would help curtail irregularities and holdups witnessed in the transport sector. "The driving license must be managed through high-end information technology and I am confident that the discipline in the transport sector can be upgraded through the medium of smart driving license card," DPM Gachhadar said adding, "4 million smart cards must be distributed within the next five years."
DPM Gachhadar further added that the new card system would end theft of driving license and activities of making fake ones.
On a different note, DPM Gachhadar said that the government was making efforts to resolve the problem by making mountainous region, hilly region and the Tarai plain as one. "We have sat in the negotiations in order to end the problem seen in Tarai within the next few days," he asserted.
Secretary at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Sridhar Sapkota spoke of the high number of complaints filed at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) over alleged irregularities and corruption in transport sector and added that the new system would lessen it.
Transport Department's Director Arjun Kumar Thapa said the quality of the card would parallel the cards used in developed countries.
Department's Spokesperson Basanta Adhikari said the smart driving license card would be useful as it is easy to carry, facilitates distribution of records and holds the motorists' records.
The smart driving license card will be distributed from the Bagmati Regional Transport Management Office from December 6, according to the Department. Preparations are underway to distribute the card from other offices.
On the occasion, DPM Gachhadar inaugurated the start of online application form for acquiring the new digitized driving license.  RSS