Islamabad police jack up driving licence fee by up to 33%

ISLAMABAD: In a move that has stirred public debate, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) announced an increase in driving licence fee by up to 33 per cent, citing the introduction of new service charges.

The revised fee of up to Rs800, to be collected for the ‘welfare’ of the police department, to be collected directly in cash by the police.

The standard licence fee, previously set at Rs2,400, will continue to be deposited into the national exchequer via bank transactions. However, the additional service charges, which include optional fees such as the road test fee, will be handled separately by the police.

The decision, authorised by the police chief following the interior minister’s directive, extends ITP licence eligibility to all citizens nationwide and implements the fee hike through an executive order, Dawn reported.

A notification from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) office, backed 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 licence 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.

Also read: ITP can now issue driving licences to residents nationwide

For those requiring a driving licence no-objection certificate (NOC), a new fee of Rs1,000 has been introduced. This certificate is necessary when changing the licence issuing authority.

Furthermore, the community driving school fees have seen a significant increase, with charges for motor cars now at Rs12,000, light-traffic vehicles at Rs18,000, and heavy-traffic vehicles at Rs25,000. An additional Rs200 mobile facilitation fee has been introduced for the ‘licence on wheels’ service, recently inaugurated by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Legal experts and police officers have raised concerns that the fee adjustments, made through an office order, may contravene the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965, which stipulates that only the federal government has the authority to enact such changes.

The police spokesperson, while affirming the Police Executive Board’s role in the decision, was unable to clarify the legal basis for the new charges, as the ordinance reserves fee increment and introduction rights for the government. The spokesperson did confirm that the service charges would be allocated to the police welfare fund.