KATHMANDU: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has said that it would take some more time to reopen new driving license applications, which have been suspended for the past month.
The issuance and renewal of new driving licenses was halted indefinitely after the DoTM’s office was vandalized, looted and set on fire on September 9 during a the Gen Z protest. The arson caused severe damage to electronic equipment, printers and servers at the DoTM’s office, disrupting all license-related services.
Officials say it will take at least another week to repair the damaged servers, procure new equipment and resume operations. Keshav Khatri, who heads the DoTM’s Information Technology Division, said efforts are underway to reopen license applications before Tihar holidays. “The process of repairing the servers and arranging necessary equipment is progressing smoothly. At the same time, a new server room is being set up,” Khatri told Mero Auto. “The servers were damaged along with printers, computers, and other office equipment during the arson. The repair work is almost complete. If possible, we will reopen applications before Tihar.”
Khatri said all staffers are working from early morning till late evening. “If it is not possible to resume license-related services before the Tihar festival, we will do so immediately afterward,” he added.
The DoTM receives 6,000 to 7,000 applications daily across the country for new licenses and renewals.
According to Khatri, the DoTM is currently procuring computers, printers, hard drives, furniture and other electronic equipment. Some items have been requested from the Security Printing Centre and other government agencies, while others have been purchased directly.
“Once the online system is fully restored, provincial transport offices will resume conducting written and trial tests for new licenses,” he added.
Although the fire damaged the DoTM’s servers, Khatri said that all license-related data remains safe, along with over 100,000 unissued smart cards. However, more than 20,000 printed licenses, 100,000 smart cards and over 600,000 embossed number plates were destroyed in the fire.
The DoTM receives 6,000 to 7,000 applications daily across the country for new licenses and renewals. Printing of around 3 million licenses, including both new and renewal, are pending. Currently, 42 transport offices across the country provide license-related services.
Bimal Prasad Bhattarai, information officer at the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Transport of the Bagmati Province Government, said license-related services cannot resume until the central server in Kathmandu is fully operational.
