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4.5 lakh pending driving licences to be delivered by March 

The interim government’s adviser to the road transport and bridges ministry, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, on Saturday said that the issuance and renewal procedures for driving licences and fitness certificates for vehicles would be easier from now on.

At a press briefing, he also told reporters that currently delivery of 4.5 lakh driving licences remained pending.

‘Within this March these licences will be issued,’ he added.

His statement came after he attended two consecutive meetings held at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority headquarters in the capital.

One meeting was held with the BRTA officials and employees and another on the road safety issue with all stakeholders.

The meetings were attended by senior government officials, including the chief adviser’s special assistant on defence and national solidarity retired lieutenant general Abdul Hafiz, special assistant on home ministry retired lieutenant general Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Road Transport and Highways Division senior secretary Md Ehsanul Hoque, and inspector general of police Baharul Alam. 

While talking to journalists, Fouzul Kabir Khan said that existing issuance and renewal procedures for driving licences and fitness certificates were very complex.

‘From now on the procedure of issuing licences will be made easier,’ he said, adding that for that purpose they would give emphasis on drivers’ training.

He also said that to train drivers both government and non-governmental organisations’ facilities would be used. Non-governmental organisations’ capacity and quality would be ensured before using their facilities, he added.

‘We will give emphasis on the eye and dope tests of the drivers,’ he said.

The adviser mentioned that they could also outsource these tasks.

Under the new system, for renewal of fitness of the vehicles the BRTA would message a time schedule to the vehicle owners’ cell phones, he said.

‘If someone misses that date then a final notice will be given,’ he said, adding, ‘if the person misses that too then the concerned fitness certificate will be cancelled.’

The same way would be followed for renewing driving licences, he further said.

The procedure for transferring vehicle ownership would also be made easier, the adviser said.

He further said that those who continue driving motorcycles with the learner’s driving licences, issued by the authorities for a short period before issuing a motorcycle driver’s licence, would be cancelled after a certain period. The step would be taken to compel the riders to collect their main licences, he added.