Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has signed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2026 into law, significantly reducing fines and abolishing imprisonment for a range of traffic violations across the province.Under the new legislation, previously stringent penalties introduced through earlier ordinances have been relaxed, with major reductions in fines and the removal of jail terms for offences such as driving without a licence, wrong-way driving, and overloading. 

The governor said the move was aimed at providing relief to the public, particularly low-income individuals, motorcyclists and rickshaw drivers, who had been burdened by high fines amid rising inflation. He added that the previous ordinance had imposed disproportionately harsh penalties on ordinary citizens. According to the revised law, fines for licence-related violations have been reduced from tens of thousands of rupees to as low as Rs5,000, while custodial sentences have been eliminated.

Similarly, wrong-way driving, which previously carried up to six months’ imprisonment or heavy fines, will now incur a fixed fine of Rs5,000 without jail time. Violations related to minimum driving age will now result in a Rs10,000 fine, along with temporary vehicle confiscation until handed over to a licensed individual.

Penalties for operating vehicles without a fitness certificate have also been reduced to Rs5,000, with restrictions on vehicle movement limited to inspection purposes. In addition, overloading in public service vehicles will now attract a Rs5,000 fine, replacing earlier provisions that included imprisonment or significantly higher penalties. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)