In the welcoming move, the residents of Punjab got the perfect update on the initial day of 2024. The caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has delivered significant relief by postponing the implementation of the proposed increase in driving license fees.

Earlier in Dec’23, the Punjab government announced that the license fee hike would take effect from Jan 1, 2024. But in a recent update, the deadline has been extended until January 9, providing citizens with a window to obtain their licenses at the current fee structure.

This decision comes in response to the caretaker government’s earlier move to substantially raise the driving license fees for both cars and motorcycles. The fee for obtaining a driver’s license had skyrocketed by 1566%, from Rs. 60 to Rs. 1000. However, Chief Minister Naqvi’s announcement of a temporary reprieve offers much-needed respite for the public.

Annual Fee Increased for Driving License

A couple of days ago, the Punjab government announced increased annual fees for the learners, renewal, and new driving licenses, effected from January 1, 2024.

According to the Lahore City Traffic Police’s Twitter handle, the fee will be received on an annual basis instead of five years earlier. The development is observed amid a strict crackdown by the traffic police against the license-less drivers in Lahore and other cities of Punjab.

The recent operation was started after a horrible car accident by a teenage driver, killing six people from the same family. Due to the current pressure from the police, a record-high number of people have applied for learner and driving licenses in the last couple of months.

On December 5, the police announced that it had issued 74,000 learner permits in a day in Punjab. The bustling provincial capital took the lead, with a staggering 24,000 licenses issued, highlighting a substantial increase in adherence to licensing requirements.

Here are the revised annual fees for different categories:

What’s your say regarding the recent relief announced by CM Naqvi? Drop your thoughts in the comments section.