Ways To Improve Driving License Service

Dr. Lok Nath Bhusal

Public service delivery is what the government and other agencies provide to the people to ensure their survival and prosperity. In the absence of quality and timely public service delivery, citizens’ trust in public institutions declines, economic activities are constrained, expected development results are not realised and people's standards of living remains low. There lie some crucial factors to be considered for better public service delivery with an example of the need to improve driving license service. 

In order to improve public service delivery, certain factors must be considered so that the service is designed and delivered in such a way that caters the needs, preferences and priorities of  people, thereby maximising service recipients' satisfaction. People demand equal and easy access, fair, competent, impartial, transparent, free from corruption, accountable and participatory public service delivery. 

Expectations

Since public services are designed for some users, it must consider the interests, tests, expectations and preferences of the targeted users or citizens. Public agencies must put the needs of citizens at the centrE of their service delivery mechanisms. Citizens must be actively and meaningfully participated in the entire design process and their feedback must be solicited to ensure that they are satisfied with the services they receive from the government. Options for customising the service must be considered to make it inclusive. Any gap between the demand of citizens and the supply by public agencies must be fulfilled by keeping the citizens at the centre of all dimensions of public service delivery. 

Uncoordinated and isolated public services cost money and time for citizens. Integrated and connected approaches to service delivery should be considered for its improvement. Services provided by different agencies should be provided through a single point. Such approach also reduces government costs, and thereby tax burden of the citizens. Information technology has the potential to ensure a connected government in providing various public services. 

Capacity of the service provider is a precondition for effective public service delivery. Right organisation equipped with right manpower and authority in the right place is fundamental aspects of better public service delivery. Therefore, service providers' capacity must be developed by enhancing their knowledge, skills and positive attitude. Institutions must also be empowered to carry out their assigned responsibilities. 

Change is an inevitable phenomenon. Public institutions must innovate to cope up with these constant changes in law, technology, business procedures and citizens' emerging needs, and innovate new ways of providing public services. Restructuring the state calls for innovations in coordination and collaboration among the three spheres of government. Customer satisfaction is only possible through innovation for continuous improvement in service delivery. 

With the increase in population, income and transportable roads, citizens' demand for driving license has also increased over the year. This has also incentivised the employees and middle-men working in the transport offices across the country. Despite some technological and governance reforms introduced for efficient driving license service delivery, cases of irregularities, corruption and customer dissatisfactions have not decreased  substantially. 

It is imperative to make the driving license exam user-centric. Both the current written and practical exams for driving license are not customer-friendly. 

To make it more user-centric, there is a need to publish a book containing all driving-related laws, rules and regulations and post it in the website of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM). Constructing public buildings for transport offices, instead of keeping them in rented houses, with enough space for managing the crowd in these offices for written and practical exams is also equally needed to improve service delivery. 

DoTM should also formulate separate user-friendly directives for written and practical exam which quantifies the areas to be tested in the practical exam. As in other countries, minor mistakes in the practical exam should not be considered to increase the current driving license pass rate from 25 per cent to at least 50 per cent.

The existing Electronic Driving License and Vehicle Registration System (EDLVRS) needs to be connected to other government and related software systems to enhance its efficiency and reduce the time of the users to pay for the service. The online application for driving license should be made further user-friendly and decentralised. Transport Department and offices must be staffed with adequate, honest and quality manpower. Regular technical, ethical and skill trainings should be organised to enhance the integrity and efficiency of the staffs providing driving license service. There is also a need to develop capacity for productive coordination with the provincial governments. This will significantly reduce the time to deliver the license to the citizens.

Reform

Since driving license service is an integral part of transport governance in the country, there is also a need to initiate reforms in the areas of traffic police, road department and transport entrepreneurs' associations. Along with introducing the India-style total automated driving license system to minimise fraud, there is a compelling need to bring innovations and ensure support from stakeholders in these areas.

Better public service delivery is the best indication of good governance which connects the people with their government. User-friendly, better connected, capable and innovation are some of the considerations for improving the delivery of public services. This also applies to Nepal's driving license service which is in need of further reforms to redress complaints and ensure citizens' satisfaction.

(Dr. Bhusal is Director at the Department of Transport Management)