Punjab massively jacks up learner's driving licence fee

The Punjab caretaker government on Tuesday massively jacked up the fee for learner's driving licence, as part of the decisions taken in the 33rd meeting of the provincial cabinet.

After the cabinet's approval, the fee for the learner's driving licence in Punjab has been increased from Rs60 to Rs1,000.

A few other decisions were also taken in the Punjab cabinet chaired by Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

As decided by the meeting, the increase in the licence fee will come into effect from January 1, 2024.

Meanwhile, citizens of the United States and Pakistani citizens living in the US, Canada and any other country can get a driving licence by paying $100 online, the provincial cabinet’s communique stated.

Moreover, the provincial cabinet also hiked the fees for light and heavy vehicle driving licence and the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) driving licence.

The cabinet huddle also approved the transfer policy for the ​Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery​ (MBBS) and Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BDS) students studying in government medical and dental colleges.

However, the new policy will allow medical students to transfer only from high-grade merit to low-grade merit medical and dental colleges.

Last month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had ordered the authorities to arrest motorists driving without a licence and expressed displeasure over the violation of traffic rules.

Justice Ali Zia Bajwa passed the remarks while hearing an appeal filed by the suspect challenging the insertion of Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Another decision finalised by the provincial cabinet is to hold a transparent lucky draw to allot government land to the farmers of the Cholistan region.