The process of issuing new driving licences has come to a complete halt since the Transport Management Department’s office was set on fire during the September 9 protest.

The department estimates that out of 22,000 printed licences, 18,000 were destroyed in the blaze, while only 3,000 were found intact.

Although around 600,000 blank licence cards were found safe, officials said it remains unclear whether they can still be used, as the printers capable of printing on them were damaged. The department’s server has also been offline since the incident, making it impossible to verify how many licences had already been printed before the fire, said Director Keshav Khatiwada. The department has not yet decided how to resolve the issue of destroyed or missing licences.

Here are answers to four key questions about the current status:

How will the burnt and missing licences be reissued?

According to Director Khatiwada, once the department’s server comes into operation, it will show how many licences were printed before the fire, helping confirm the extent of the damage.

“Some of the printed licences were found and will be distributed accordingly,” Khatiwada said. “We will then coordinate with provincial ministries regarding the lost or burnt ones and finalise the next steps.”

The department’s data centre was also destroyed in the fire. Many printed licences that were ready to be dispatched to transport offices across the country were lost in the incident.

The department used to print two types of licences—those for people travelling abroad were printed within 24 hours of application, while those for regular applicants were printed gradually for around 2.5 million applicants. Both services are currently suspended. Officials said discussions are ongoing to find a solution after Tihar.

What will happen to the 2.5 million pending licences?

The printers used for licence printing were destroyed in the fire, and the department currently has no functioning machines. According to Khatiwada, discussions are being held on whether to procure new printers through tender or request assistance from donor agencies.

Given the urgency, the department aims to manage printers soon after Tihar. Once the new machines arrive, the department plans to print and distribute the pending licences. It has also reached an agreement with the Security Printing Centre to begin printing from October 31, with a formal deal expected to be signed on Wednesday.

In addition, some licences that were confiscated by traffic police for traffic rule violations were also destroyed in the fire at the traffic offices.

What about licences burnt at police offices?

Traffic police are currently preparing reports on licences destroyed while under their control. The department will determine the total damage after receiving details from the traffic police, Khatiwada said.

He added that discussions are being planned with provincial transport offices to decide how to reprint such licences and manage the necessary revenue.

At present, around 2.5 million applicants who have already paid fees are carrying receipts as proof of payment, waiting for their licences. Some have been waiting for years.

When will the driving licence reappear on the Nagarik App?

The department’s data centre was destroyed in the fire, halting all operations related to licence issuance and renewal. According to Khatiwada, the system needs to be restored first, and work is underway to make it functional.

He said the system is expected to resume operation between the Tihar and Chhath festivals. Once restored, the driving licence details will again appear on the Nagarik App, and all 42 transport offices across the country will resume issuing new and renewed licences.

Until then, all licence-related services remain suspended nationwide.

Based on reporting by Bimal Khatiwada