KATHMANDU: The government has introduced a new interim solution for the issuance of driving licenses due to delays in providing smart cards. Starting now, individuals who pass the driving license trial will receive a receipt that includes a photo and a QR code, as the smart cards cannot be issued immediately. This measure is designed to ensure that individuals have a form of identification while awaiting their smart cards.
To facilitate this process, traffic police will be equipped with machines capable of reading QR codes. Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal, explained that this approach was adopted as a temporary fix to address the issue of delays in smart card distribution.
Currently, approximately 1.5 million service recipients who have completed their driving trials are still awaiting their smart cards. The Department of Transport Management's machines are unable to read the new smart cards, prompting the search for alternative solutions to manage this backlog.
In response to the delays, the federal government has suggested that, except for essential cases, the printing of driving cards be handled at the provincial level. This shift aims to streamline the process and reduce delays in card issuance.
A committee, led by the Federal Minister for Physical Infrastructure, has been established to tackle the issue. Following the announcement by the Bagmati Province government that it would take on the responsibility of printing the cards itself, other provinces have also indicated their readiness to adopt a similar approach.
The new strategy of issuing receipts with photos and QR codes, combined with provincial-level card printing, is expected to alleviate the problems caused by the current delays in smart card distribution and improve the efficiency of the driving license issuance process.
