More than 600,000 driving licenses are delayed

• The issue began in 2021.
• Clients face up to a 3-year wait despite completing the test, deposit, and biometric requirements.
• BRTA reverted from smart cards to regular cards.

After passing their driving tests and depositing fees, applicants have been left waiting as the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has delayed issuing smart card driving licenses. Currently, over 625,000 applicants remain in limbo, some waiting up to three years. This backlog began during the previous government under Minister Obaidul Quader, with allegations that the licensing contract favored a particular contractor, creating public inconvenience.

On August 5, following a student uprising, the Awami League government stepped down, and an interim government assumed power on August 8. The new administration has since moved to replace smart cards with standard PVC cards for driving licenses. According to BRTA, new applicants will receive PVC cards, while existing applicants will still get their smart cards, though there’s no clear timeline. Ehsanul Haque, Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Department, expressed optimism that using PVC cards would allow faster printing and reduce delays. These new PVC cards will also include a QR code for easy verification.

Applicants awaiting smart cards receive temporary paper licenses to avoid legal issues, but this is inadequate for those needing licenses to work abroad. For example, Abdul Matin from Cumilla has been waiting for his license to finalize his visa for Saudi Arabia. After applying through a broker and paying Tk 13,000, he has waited over two months for his card, preventing him from submitting his passport to the embassy.

Reports indicate that a limited number of cards are being issued, mainly to high-ranking officials and those with foreign travel needs, who must show visas and register at the BRTA chairman’s office. However, this process is unclear to the public, and some who do know reportedly pay additional fees to receive their cards sooner. A syndicate involving BRTA staff and contractors is allegedly charging extra fees to prioritize card issuance for a select few.

This backlog began in 2019 when BRTA awarded the smart card contract to Madras Security Printers of India, despite other lower bidders. Contract delays, combined with challenges from COVID-19 and supply chain issues, led to mounting backlogs, leaving hundreds of thousands of applicants waiting for cards. While Madras Printers is contractually obligated to deliver 4 million cards by 2026, they have only issued about 2 million so far.

BRTA has criticized Madras Printers for insufficient resources and slow card issuance, with bills only paid based on completed work. However, Madras Printers cited delays in BRTA payments, affecting their ability to import supplies. Despite the initial push for smart cards, BRTA is now shifting to PVC cards, moving away from smart card standards that are prevalent globally.

The BRTA faces criticism for alleged mismanagement. A survey by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) found that 83.1% of families faced corruption in obtaining licenses. Iftekharuzzaman, TIB’s Executive Director, emphasized that the backlog resulted from contracts awarded to unqualified contractors due to collusion. He underscored the need for accountability within BRTA to prevent the popular uprising from being a superficial political change rather than a step towards meaningful reform.