To drive public transport buses, a person needs to have a professional driving license till now. However, from the 1st of September, bus drivers and conductors need to have a certificate. This is an addition to the professional driving license. According to the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority, BCTA, this move aims for easy identification, better monitoring, and safety of passengers.
The move is not something new. According to the BCTA, the requirement is stated in the Road Safety and Transport Act 1999. However, drivers and conductors have been operating with only licenses so far.
BCTA officials said that there were cases where drivers were switching in the middle of the journey, which compromised passenger safety.
To ensure safety on the road, only certified drivers can now drive the scheduled public transport buses.
Drivers and conductors will be given certification tags upon completing a refresher course. The certificate is valid for three years.
For instance, the Meto transport driver will hold the certification tag as ‘Meto Transport’ and can only drive the designated bus. However, BCTA will grant exceptions during emergencies.
The first batch of over 500 drivers and conductors completed the refresher course in July across Thimphu, Gelephu, Phuentshogling, Samdrup Jongkhar, and Monggar.
At the time of renewal, the BCTA said that they will also look at their records such as violations of traffic rules.
Additionally, public transport buses with 20 or more seats should have a conductor.
Devika Pradhan
