Kathmandu, January 24
The Department of Transport Management has proposed that provincial bodies be authorised to regulate vehicle registration, vehicle taxation and driving licence distribution after the new federal political setup is fully implemented.
Revising its earlier proposal that local governments be given the rights to register vehicles and distribute licences, the Department now argues all local bodies are not capable of handling the tasks. Transport officials say the local governments do not have sufficient infrastructures and equipment for the services.
The Department is currently drafting a new Transport Management Bill including such provisions, informs the Department’s Director General Rup Narayan Bhattarai.
The Department plans to convert currently operating zonal transport management offices into provincial transport offices and authorise them to regulate the sector.
In addition, the Department wants to exist intact at the central level as a body responsible to formulate policies and handle other policy-related affairs.
“Some transport management policies have to be formulated from the central level. We have to manage and coordinate inter-province transport issues,” a high official says, “Technical issues including standards of vehicles cannot be taken care of by provinces.”
