Residents of Karnali zone have finally got their hands on a driver’s permit in their own region after the Department of Transport Management opened an office there nine months ago.

A total of 310 people have received driving licences for motorcycles or scooters from the Transport Management Office in Jumla which was inaugurated on January 2.

According to the office, it has facilities to conduct licence examinations for motorcycles and scooters only, and has tested 803 applicants so far.

Before establishing its office in Karnali, the DoTM had its units in all other 13 zones of the country. Residents of Karnali, the most backward region in the country, had to travel as far as Nepalgunj in Bheri zone to register their motor vehicles or take out a driving licence.

The office in Jumla has also benefited people of neighbouring Dolpa, Humla, Kalikot and Mugu districts.

Apart from saving people’s time and money, the office has also helped to maintain proper record of vehicles and drivers in the region. Spokesperson of DoTM Basanta Adhikari said that people in the region used to drive without licence arguing that there was no office to issue them one. “But now they cannot use that pretext,” he said.

“The other benefit is that people who work and live in the area can now also renew their driving licence from the Jumla office itself and do not need to travel to their home zone or Nepalgunj,” Adhikari said. Transport Management Offices use an online software called Driving Licence Registering Software for the purpose.

The Jumla office has also begun registering motor vehicles in the zone. So far,it has registered 62 motorcycles and three four-wheelers in the region issuing them number plates that begin with Ka 1.

No heavy vehicles or buses have been registered with the Transport Management Office yet.