- Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) introduces a new fee structure for driving licenses, increasing fees by up to 33%.
- The fee hike, effective immediately, follows an executive order and broadens license eligibility nationwide.
- The Police Executive Board's role in the decision is affirmed, with service charges allocated to the police welfare fund.
Under the new fee structure, which can reach up to Rs800, a portion is earmarked for the welfare of the police department and will be collected in cash directly by the police. The standard license fee, previously set at Rs2,400, will continue to be deposited into the national exchequer through bank transactions. However, the police will handle the additional service charges separately, which include optional fees like the road test fee.
The decision, approved by the police chief following a directive from the interior minister, expands ITP license eligibility to all citizens nationwide and implements the fee hike through an executive order. A notification from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) office, endorsed by the Police Executive Board's recommendation, has made these service charges effective immediately.
The revised charges introduce a Rs200 medical fee and offer a fast-track license processing option for an additional Rs2,000. Road test fees vary by vehicle type, with charges set at Rs200 for motor cars, Rs300 for light-traffic vehicles, and Rs500 for heavy-traffic vehicles. A road safety education session fee of Rs200 has also been introduced. For those needing a driving license no-objection certificate (NOC), a new fee of Rs1,000 has been introduced. This certificate is required when changing the license-issuing authority.
Furthermore, fees for community driving schools have seen a significant increase, with charges now at Rs 12,000 for motor cars, Rs 18,000 for light-traffic vehicles, and Rs 25,000 for heavy-traffic vehicles. An additional Rs200 mobile facilitation fee has been introduced for the 'license on wheels' service, recently launched by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
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However, legal experts and police officers have raised concerns that these fee adjustments, made through an office order, may contradict the Motor Vehicles Ordinance of 1965. This ordinance specifies that only the federal government has the authority to enact such changes.
While affirming the role of the Police Executive Board in this decision, the police spokesperson was unable to clarify the legal basis for the new charges, as the ordinance reserves the rights for fee increments and introductions to the government. The spokesperson did confirm that the service charges would be allocated to the police welfare fund.
