Patna: The Bihar government has ordered a major overhaul of the state’s driving licence issuance system, promising that applicants who pass their driving test will receive a laminated licence within 24 hours.
The directive was issued by the state’s transport minister, Shravan Kumar, during a review meeting of the transport department, where he criticised delays that often stretched from a week to 10 days. The minister said such delays caused unnecessary hardship to citizens and would no longer be tolerated.
Under the new instructions, the agency responsible for printing driving licences and vehicle registration certificates has been told to ensure faster processing across all districts. Each district must maintain at least 90 days’ worth of printing material to prevent disruptions, officials said.
The minister warned that strict action would be taken against the agency if it failed to comply with the revised timeline.
According to official data, more than 55,000 applications for driving licences are submitted every month across Bihar. On December 16 alone, 1,840 online applications were recorded, with Muzaffarpur reporting the highest number, followed by Patna, Gopalganj, Samastipur and Bhagalpur.
District transport officers have also been instructed to streamline procedures to ensure the timely issuance of licences. Officials said the application process remains fully online and transparent, with applicants required to apply through the central government’s Sarathi portal.
The move is aimed at improving service delivery and reducing administrative bottlenecks in one of the country’s busiest transport systems.
