Kathmandu, December 13 Only a few days after the Department of Transport Management started printing smart driving licences using high-capacity mass printer, the device has stopped functioning again, making it unlikely for service-seekers to get their smart licences any time soon. In a bid to address the rising demand of smart driving licences and enhance DoTM’s capacity to print such cards, the department had purchased a mass printer with capacity to print almost 450 smart cards in an hour. The DoTM had just started printing smart driving cards through this printer on Wednesday. The DoTM was planning to issue smart driving licences to all pending service-seekers within a few months. However, the DoTM’s plans and service-seekers’ hopes of getting smart driving permits soon have been dashed as the mass printer has abruptly stopped functioning. “We have come across some technical glitches because of which the device has suddenly stopped functioning. However, the technical team is looking into the problem and trying to fix it,” said a DoTM official, seeking anonymity. Due to inadequate printing capacity, the DoTM has not been able to issue smart driving licences to almost 800,000 service-seekers who had applied for renewal of old licences or had passed vehicle trial almost one year ago. As the device is technically advanced, DoTM officials are finding it hard to repair the mass printer. Some high-level officials from the DoTM had recently visited Italy to learn about the printer’s functioning and its operational procedure. The same team is looking into technical glitches seen in the mass printer. The DoTM had awarded Madras Printer the responsibility to print smart driving licences. The DoTM had spent Rs 49.7 million to purchase the mass printer.