KATHMANDU: A significant backlog of 1.6 million individuals awaits the issuance of their smart licenses after successfully completing their trials, a delay attributed to the malfunction of the mass printer at the Department of Transport Management (DoTM). Formerly operational for three shifts, the current printer now barely manages two shifts due to technical issues, resulting in reduced output. With only two of its four encodings functioning, the printer prints approximately 2,650 cards daily, in addition to around 400 priority licenses.
Purchased in August 2019, the printer initially operated at full capacity but has since encountered technical failures, prolonging the printing process to about 400 days for 1.2 million new cards. The DoTM lacks the necessary budget to repair the two non-functional encodings, exacerbating the situation. Consequently, the department's daily output has decreased, with only 2,500-3,000 cards being printed per day across two shifts.
Despite the challenges, DoTM Director Ishwari Datta Paneru reported that 50,000 out of 1.2 million new smart cards have been printed within 6 and a half months. However, the delay in full operation has hindered the distribution process, which is set to commence shortly. The first batch of cards is scheduled for distribution to Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces in December 2023, followed by other regions.
The distribution was postponed pending lab test reports for the newly printed cards, which were awaited by the DoTM. Upon receipt of the reports from Germany's Fogra Company on May 13, and subsequent review, Director General Uddhab Prasad Rijal confirmed that the cards met all quality standards. Tested for various factors including waterproofing, the cards exceeded expectations, paving the way for their imminent distribution.
