Kathmandu, January 18

The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has initiated online-based application system for driving licences based on the decision taken on January 9.

As per the decision made by DoTM, the department will fix a quota for each office and this could vary on a daily basis.

However, according to Rupnarayan Bhattarai, director general of DoTM, the online-based system has not been applied in the Karnali Zonal Office.

“Different quotas have been fixed for different zonal offices. Service seekers will get confirmation code and based on the code, the next process will be started,” Bhattarai stated. “So, if the quota for that day is finished, the additional applications will automatically be pushed to the following day.”

Based on the confirmation code, the process of written and trial exams will begin.

The implementation of fully online-based system is expected to facilitate the general public, who otherwise would have to queue for hours just to submit their applications for the driving licence.

The DoTM has changed manual system of accepting applications after receiving a large number of complaints from service seekers about the huge inconvenience due to the earlier system.

DoTM has categorised the vehicles in different groups. For example, motorcycles have been categorised in Group ‘A’, scooters in Group ‘K’ and cars in Group ‘B’ in the new system. People can choose the appropriate group through the website of the DoTM and apply for the driving licence.

The DoTM has fixed the quota for two-wheelers between 100 and 600 units based on the zonal office. The highest number of quota has been fixed for offices belonging to the Bagmati Zonal Office. “As per demand in the zonal offices, we have fixed the quota and this may be changed on a daily basis,” Bhattarai clarified.

However, the new system will provide no relief to more than 250,000 people who have passed the trial examination and applied to renew their driving licence as the DoTM has been unable to distribute the licences to them due to scarcity of smart driving licence cards.