5.6 lakh smart licence backlog frustrates BRTA clients, many fail to get job abroad

Infograph: TBS

Md Azmul provided his fingerprint for a smart driving licence from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in August last year, intending to secure a driving visa for a job abroad.

However, as the licence was not issued on time, he did not get the job.

More than a year later, he is yet to receive the smart licence card. "I left my previous job, but could not move abroad. I am in a severe financial crisis," said a frustrated Azmul.

Thousands of others have similar stories due to delays in BRTA's smart driving licence distribution with a backlog of around 560,000 cards.

BRTA officials attribute the delays to Madras Security Printers (MSP), the company contracted to supply the cards which has cited a shortage of polycarbonate cards as the cause.

The BRTA office corridors and rooms are clogged with frustrated people everyday who are waiting to go abroad with driver jobs but can not get the printed driving card.

"I see 20 to 30 such applicants every day at the head office, some even with recommendations from top bureaucrats," said a senior BRTA official.

Meer Ahemed Tariqul Omar, director (operations) of the BRTA, told TBS that around 5.9 lakh driving licence cards were pending. However, in the past two weeks, MSP printed over 30,000 cards and distributed them.

He said, "The company informed us that they received a consignment of 4.75 lakh cards and are working in three shifts to print about 10,000 cards per day. They are trying to resolve the backlog as soon as possible."

In July 2020, BRTA signed a Tk1.2 billion contract with MSP to supply 40 lakh cards by June 2025. However, the company has produced only 20 lakh cards so far, with just seven months remaining to deliver the rest of the cards.

BRTA officials state that with 2,000–3,000 new applications being submitted daily, resolving the backlog issue anytime soon will be challenging.

Meanwhile, BRTA has also been issuing e-paper driving licences. Applicants receive machine-generated documents with QR codes, which allow them to drive freely across the country.

BRTA director (engineering) Sitangshu Shekhar Biswas said the authority was also weighing options such as providing driving cards under its own management after procuring necessary technology. If not possible within a short time, then a third party will be engaged to resolve the problem, he added.

Besides, the licensing agency is also trying to get the e-driving licences, which are currently being provided due to delay in smart card delivery, accepted internationally to end the sufferings of overseas job seekers or travelers who need driving licences, officials said.  

Trouble with MSP

According to Meer Ahemed Tariqul Omar, the Indian company highlighted several issues in producing the cards including difficulties with opening letters of credit (LCs) and problems with the quality of applicants' photos.

He explained, "Their photographers often take poor-quality photos. During quality checks, many printed cards are rejected, requiring applicants to retake their photos, which delays the process. Some applicants, frustrated by the delays, have even agreed to accept low-quality photos for their licences."

"We have directed them to complete the distribution of the pending cards within a month," he said.

He also mentioned that BRTA has been exerting pressure on MSP by withholding payment.

"We told them that we won't release any bills until all the pending cards are distributed. Additionally, we've asked them to ensure the photos meet the required quality standards while taking. We will not accept any more delays."

However, MSP has expressed optimism about resolving the backlog within the next four months.

Ahmed Kani, IT Project Manager at MSP, said, "We have procured 4 lakh cards and are in the process of opening an LC for an additional five lakh cards. Additionally, we are operating around the clock, printing around 10,000 licences per day. This will help us clear all the backlog within 3-4 months."

Kani also assured that no further backlog is expected, stating, "Our daily printing capacity is nearly double the demand. While BRTA processes around 6,000 licence enrollments per day, we can print over 10,000 cards daily."

Addressing the reasons for the backlog, Kani mentioned past challenges such as delays in opening LCs and disruptions caused by the country's situation since July.

When asked about the specific issues with LC openings, Kani declined to elaborate further.

 A BRTA official, who closely monitors MSP, stated that for the past three months, MSP has been producing only 200-300 cards per day due to a shortage of stock. The consignment of 475,000 cards is the largest they have received in the last six months.

He added, "Working with MSP has been extremely difficult, as they often provide illogical excuses for their failure to meet deadlines. Although the BRTA was unable to take strict action against the Indian company under the previous government, it is now attempting to remedy the situation."

The official said the BRTA is planning to look for alternatives after making payments for whatever number of smart cards it can supply until June next year.

  Delay in post office

The BRTA delivers smart driving licences to applicants through the post office, using the addresses provided during the application process. However, there are allegations that delays in postal delivery often prevent applicants from receiving their cards on time.

Md Zakir Hasan Noor, director (mails) at the Directorate of Posts, highlighted certain system-related issues causing delays in delivering licences.

"Sometimes BRTA sends us backdated cards, which creates the perception of late delivery," he said.

Another reason he shared, "Previously, BRTA used to send us 3,000–4,000 cards daily, and we developed our capacity to handle up to 5,000 cards per day, including system entry, rechecking with BRTA servers, and packaging.

"However, a few days ago, they sent 40,000 cards at once. Processing such a large batch took time, but we worked round the clock to clear the backlog within a few days," he said.

Regarding delivery timelines, Zakir Hasan said, "We have an agreement to deliver licences within seven days. Typically, we ensure delivery to the recipient within three days of receiving the cards. If the recipient is unavailable, the card stays at the nearest post office for seven days before being sent back to BRTA."

He emphasised the department's commitment to timely delivery, saying, "We are very cautious about delays. In fact, a few days ago, we suspended an employee for delayed delivery."

 A project plagued by delays

A smart driving licence card is the physical proof of the driving licence which is embedded with data chips for storing information about the driver.

The BRTA started issuing digital smart driving licences with chips in October 2011. Distribution of plastic cards started even before, in 2005, to prevent driving licence forgery.   

Historically, BRTA has relied on various contractors for smart card issuance. Before MSP, local firm Tiger IT Bangladesh Limited, in collaboration with a French company, was contracted for the job.

However, the deadlock in the smart driving licence project developed in 2018 after the BRTA failed to extend a deal with contractor Tiger IT because the company was blacklisted by the World Bank.

Soon after, the BRTA began searching for another company but it took one and a half years. Finally, it selected Indian firm Madras Security Printer (MSP) for this job.

MSP received the work order to print the cards in 2019 and had set up a facility in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the road transport authorities, inked a separate deal with the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory on 29 August 2021 to print the pending cards for issuing smart driving licences. The Bangladesh Army-run factory supplied 12.5 lakh cards clearing the backlog left by the previous contractor Tiger IT until the MSP started the job.