Department of Transport Management is set to take applications for electronic “smart” driving license from mid December, with view of replacing old paper-based licenses.

In the first phase, DoTM has planned to distribute a total of 160,000 smart licenses in the Kathmandu Valley. According to spokesperson Basanta Adhikari, smart licenses will be distributed from all 14 Transport Management Offices in the country after two weeks from its launch in Kathmandu.

The new licenses are similar to ATM cards issued by banks. They contain electronic chips similar to SIM cards, which contain information on driver’s identity and vehicle registration number. DoTM officials said that the smart licenses will also replace blue books as we know it. Smart card readers will be made available to DoTM staff and traffic police to access data on the card.

The DoTM has issued more than 2 million driver’s permit so far of which 1.5 million drivers are currently active, data shows. For the smart card, motorists can upload their information online but will have to visit TMOs to have their picture taken and fingerprint and signature recorded. These smart cards will need to be replaced every 10 years.

Earlier, the government had planned to introduce the smart licenses from the beginning of current fiscal year but the April earthquake forced the delay. Indian firm Madras Security Printers has been selected for preparing the electronic cards. Learners Tech Pvt Ltd is the local representative of the company. Asian Development Bank has provided Rs150 million assistance to develop the new technology in the country.

Meanwhile, Adhikari said that all services provided by Kathmandu’s TMO will be obstructed from December 1 to 6 so as to transfer all information from the old database to the new software. “In the time being, service seekers who come for taking new license, license renewal, category upgradation and making license copies will be given tokens,” he said.