Driving licence distribution crumbles as postal service falls short

The introduction of home delivery for driving licences through the postal service by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has turned into a prolonged ordeal for applicants, with many applicants waiting for months for updates from the postal service despite licences printed, leaving them frustrated.

Although BRTA offers the option of collecting driving licences directly or via postal home delivery, those opting for the latter face severe delays. Applicants report that their licences remain stuck in transit even after completing all formalities.

Riazul Islam, a Bangladeshi expatriate from Malaysia, shared his frustration, “I passed my driving test on 7 July and paid the fees on 8 July. Since then, the DL Checker app shows the status as ‘Card Printed and Will Be Dispatched to Postal for Delivery’, but I have yet to receive it.”

Like Riazul, many victims have echoed similar complaints.

Even when postal services deliver driving licences, complaints persist about delivery staff demanding “tips” during the handover.

Take the case of Harun Md Shahed Bin Naim, a private service holder residing in Kalabagan, Dhaka.

Harun said he passed his driving test on 8 July this year and paid the fee the following day. According to the BRTA Service Portal (BSP), his licence was approved, and the E-paper licence was generated the same day. The post office concerned received the physical licence on 26 November.

“I got a call from a staff member at the New Market post office on 1 December, informing me that my licence would be delivered that day,” Harun said. “However, he explicitly asked for a ‘tip’. I gave it to avoid any complications.”

Sources said the postal service’s distribution process involves sending printed licences from BRTA to the Tejgaon Mail Processing Centre, where they are dispatched nationwide. However, BRTA claims that the centre has held up to 30,000 licences without proper entry or distribution.

When applicants visit the processing centre for inquiries, they reportedly face unhelpful behaviour from officials. So, many have to return empty-handed despite travelling long distances.

When this correspondent approached officers concerned about talking about the allegations, none agreed to meet or talk.

However, an official from the Mails Department of the Directorate of Posts, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Daily Sun, “We are unaware of any driving licences handed over by BRTA to the post office that remain undelivered for more than 1 to 1.5 months. While the BRTA app indicates that the driving licence has been printed and sent to the post office for delivery, the reality is that many licences have not yet been handed over to our mailing centre. If we do not receive them, how can we deliver them to the customers?”

“We have raised this issue with BRTA, and they need to cooperate. Both the Postal Department and BRTA are working to address the matter. However, I must acknowledge that there are also issues on our side. It is not entirely problem-free. We are making efforts to resolve any difficulties on our end,” he added.

Acknowledged the issues, BRTA Chairman Mohammed Yasin told the Daily Sun, “There are challenges with delivering licences through the postal service, and we are holding discussions to address them. The agreement with the postal department lacks a clear timeline for delivery, which we are working to resolve.”

Since the introduction of smart licences in 2011, supply issues have plagued the system. After BRTA’s contract with Tiger IT Bangladesh Limited ended in June 2021, delays mounted as new contractors, Madras Securities Printers, were brought in. This transition resulted in a backlog of 1.25 million licences.

To date, BRTA has distributed 6,00,000 licences, but approximately 4,00,000 remain pending. Of these, 2,00,000 have been printed but are yet to reach recipients. BRTA officials said they had withheld payments to the contractor until the backlog is cleared.

Experts blame outdated postal services for the delays. “If the task were outsourced to private courier services, applicants would receive their licences more quickly and efficiently,” suggested a communications expert.

With hundreds of thousands of licences still undelivered, applicants and officials are urging BRTA to re-evaluate its agreement with the postal service to streamline the distribution process.