BCTA Revokes 1603 Licenses in Phuentsholing After Internal Review

…𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

Sonam Deki

In a bid to enhance the efficiency and integrity of the licensing process, the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority (BCTA) has undertaken a comprehensive internal review, leading to the revocation of 1603 licenses in Phuentsholing. The review revealed various instances of procedural lapses and failure to fulfill required procedures for driving licensing.

The nullification of all 1603 licenses was confirmed by BCTA officials, who emphasized their commitment to upholding regulatory standards. In a statement, BCTA stated, “We have sent mass notifications to the affected 1603 individuals about the cancellation of their licenses. Additionally, we have collaborated with the police to update the cPMS.”

According to Road Safety and Transport regulations 2021, “Under section 148 (1), The authority may cancel driving license if a person has acquired licence without undergoing required test by the Authority”. Under the section 149, a license holder may only be eligible to apply for issuance of a new license after the period of three years from the date of cancellation of his license in case of the section 148 (1) (2) (3) and (4) only. A licence holder whose licence got cancelled under section 148 (1) (2) (3) and (4) shall be required to fulfill all the requirements for obtaining the driving licence.

Administrative action has been taken against an official involved in the irregularities. BCTA officials remarked, “He has not fulfilled his mandates and responsibilities.”

The evaluation was conducted commencing from the year when the involved official commenced his tenure in the new deputation. The review spanned from 2016 to August 2023, resulting in the nullification of 1603 licenses.
BCTA assured the public that the revocation was solely based on procedural lapses or failure to fulfill required procedures, with no indication of bribery or corruption.

In response to this incident, BCTA has pledged to implement enhanced monitoring measures to prevent future occurrences. A systematic validation process has been introduced, where one entity will upload information, and another will validate and approve, ensuring a more rigorous and foolproof system.

The internal review was exclusively conducted in Phuentsholing, and similar assessments will be undertaken in other BCTA offices across various dzongkhags.