Punjab caretaker govt approves staggering increase in learner's driving licence fee

• Increased fee to come into effect from January next year.
• Cabinet jacks up fee for light, heavy vehicle driving licence.
• Also approves transfer policy for MBBS and BDS students. 

The Punjab caretaker government has approved a multi-fold hike in the learner driving licence fee, which will come into effect from January 1, 2024.

The approval came during the 33rd meeting of the provincial cabinet, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore on Tuesday.

After the cabinet's approval, the fee for the learner's driving licence has been increased from Rs60 to Rs1000.

However, United States citizens 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 has 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.