The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has announced a revised fee structure for obtaining driving licenses, prompting discussions among the public. The updated fees, now including other service charges, reflect an increase of up to 33% in certain categories.
Under the new arrangement, applicants will face a base license fee of up to Rs800, with part of it allocated to police welfare initiatives. This fee is collected in cash by the police and is separate from the standard Rs2,400 license fee deposited into the national treasury via bank transactions. These new service charges, including optional fees like those for road tests, were introduced following a directive from the interior minister and approval by the police chief.
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The new fee structure includes a Rs200 medical fee and a fast-track processing option for Rs2,000. Road test fees are Rs200 for motor cars, Rs300 for light-traffic vehicles, and Rs500 for heavy-traffic vehicles. Additionally, there's a Rs200 fee for road safety education sessions. A driving license no-objection certificate (NOC) now costs Rs1,000, required when changing the license issuing authority.
Notably, fees for community driving schools have undergone substantial increases, with charges for motor cars now set at Rs12,000, light-traffic vehicles at Rs18,000, and heavy-traffic vehicles at Rs25,000. Furthermore, a new Rs200 mobile facilitation fee has introduced for the recently launched ‘license on wheels’ service, spearheaded by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Legal experts and police officers have raised concerns about the legality of fee adjustments implemented through an office order rather than the legislative process mandated by the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965. The ordinance grants the authority to modify or introduce fees exclusively to the federal government, questioning the legal basis for these changes.
While the police spokesperson affirmed the role of the Police Executive Board in the decision-making process, clarity on the legal justification for the fee adjustments remains elusive. The spokesperson acknowledged that the service charges would contribute to the police welfare fund, underscoring the intent behind the fee restructuring.
The new fees for obtaining driving licenses in Islamabad, set by the Islamabad Traffic Police, represent a major change in cost structure and have sparked scrutiny and debate.
