Nepal Govt task force proposes to provide professional license for driving public vehicles

KATHMANDU : The task force formed by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) in order to reduce road accidents has proposed to provide a separate license for public transport vehicle drivers. The task force known as the Transportation Improvement Suggestion Task Force was formed to recommend measures for reducing road accidents.

The task force formed under the coordination of Sharad Chandra Paudel included Bigyan Raj Sharma (former Additional Inspector General of Police), Padam Shahi, Madhusudan Acharya, Bijay Gautam, Bijay Swar as members. The Director General of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) was an ex-officio member of the task force. The task force submitted its report to Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala in January.

The report suggested arranging a ‘professional driver’s license’ for driving public vehicles. The task force suggested that the provision of special training to get a professional driver’s license should be included in the law.

It is also proposed to arrange for an ‘ordinary license’ (non-professional driver’s license) for drivers other than public vehicles. For this, amendments to the Vehicle and Public Transport Act and Regulations were proposed to harmonize the framework for both professional and non-professional driving licenses. The report emphasizes the need for a separate system for issuing and renewing these permits.

Under the suggested regulations, only individuals possessing a professional driver’s license would be permitted to drive public vehicles, and they would be required to adhere to prescribed dress codes while doing so.