LHC moved against recent hike in driving license’ fee

Lahore: A writ petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging significant increase in the fee of driving license.

Rana Ali Hussnain, a local resident, filed the petition and made the caretaker Punjab government, the Punjab IGP, and others as respondents in his plea.

He argued that the increase in the driving license fees is unlawful, emphasizing that the caretaker government lacked the authority to raise prices through the additional taxes. He also submitted that the caretaker government, tasked with overseeing daily provincial affairs, also lacked the jurisdiction to implement price hikes.

He asked the court to invalidate the notification on the driving license fee hike and direct the authorities to issue the licenses at the previous rates.

Effective from January 16, the government enforced a substantial fee hike across all license categories in the province.

The development took place at the moment when the citizens had already been facing sky-rocketing inflation.

Previous learner permits’ fee, cars and bikes’ licenses rates

Earlier, the shift occurred with learner permits, surging from Rs60 to Rs500—a remarkable 733% increase, potentially dissuading individuals from pursuing their driving aspirations.

The regular motorcycle licenses also rose to Rs980 annually, up from Rs580, while cars and jeeps now incurred a steeper fee of Rs2,280, compared to the previous Rs1,180.

Both Light Transport Vehicle (LTV) and Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) drivers faced an annual fee of Rs2,480.

The international license witnessed an astonishing threefold surge, skyrocketing from Rs1,830 to a staggering Rs6,030. Such a sudden increase could potentially disrupt travel plans for those aspiring to obtain licenses valid abroad.

Though the government hasn't officially disclosed the motive behind these substantial hikes, speculation arises that it might be a measure to enhance road safety by implementing stricter licensing procedures and, concurrently, to generate additional revenue.