National
Govt set to ease licence procurement process for heavy vehicles
The government is going to ease the licence procurement process for heavy equipment by amending the provision in the Transport Management Act 1992 that requires applicants to have at least two years experience of driving four-wheelers before they can apply for permit to operate heavy-duty vehicles.The government is going to ease the licence procurement process for heavy equipment by amending the provision in the Transport Management Act 1992 that requires applicants to have at least two years experience of driving four-wheelers before they can apply for permit to operate heavy-duty vehicles.
The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) is of the view that by easing the process trained and skilled drivers can obtain the licence to operate excavators, dozers, loaders and heavy trucks designed to undertake construction projects.
DoTM Director General Rupnarayan Bhattarai said the department was already in the process of amending the provision, and that a draft bill shall soon be sent to the Ministry of Law for legal consultation before it is forwarded to the Cabinet for approval. The plan is to present the draft bill to the Cabinet by December.
“There is a high demand for heavy equipment drivers since the country is in the process of rebuilding after the 2015 earthquakes,” said Bhattarai.
The licence for heavy equipment can be obtained from 13 different places in country.
Rajkumar Shrestha, an engineer at the DoTM, said driving training was being conducted by the regional offices of the Department of Roads, and trained drivers can apply for licence without the need for sitting written test.
“Once they pass the test, they are eligible to operate the vehicles,” said Shrestha.