Islamabad authorities have restricted the practice of waiving the mandatory learner period for driving licenses following complaints of widespread misuse involving selective influencers and the tout mafia.
Police officials said senior authorities directed the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) to stop granting Learner Period Condonation (LPC) after reports emerged that the concession was being exploited for financial gain.
In September, the ITP warned motorists driving without licenses to obtain proper documentation or face legal action, including the registration of cases. Following the warning, a large number of motorists approached the ITP to apply for driving licenses.
At the same time, the ITP began registering cases against motorists driving without licenses, despite the offence being compoundable under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance (MWO).
The enforcement led to a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which ruled that registering criminal cases or seizing vehicles for driving without a valid licence was excessive and unlawful, as it violated citizens’ rights.
Despite the court ruling, the strict enforcement pushed many motorists to seek licenses urgently, creating opportunities for influencers to demand money in exchange for speeding up the process.
Under the MWO, the learner permit is the first mandatory step toward obtaining a driving license and requires a 42-day learning period. However, in practice, SSPs and SPs of the traffic police frequently waived this requirement after verbal approval. Approved permits were marked LPC, signed, and stamped by officers.
Officials said that over three months, officers’ stamps were also used in bulk to waive the learner period, often during evening hours.
Between September and November, the ITP issued 79,390 learner permits, with over 80 per cent having the learner period waived through recommendations. Of the 48,327 candidates who passed both the theory and road tests, only 31,551 driving licenses were issued.
A senior police officer confirmed that the restrictions on LPC were imposed due to its misuse. He said several touts had been identified at the ITP headquarters and that a case had been registered against one of them. Surveillance at the headquarters has also been increased to monitor and curb such illegal activities.
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Law breakers are always sharper than the law enforcers. That is why they exist and operate with impunity!
Aslam o alikum
More effective and a reviewed stricter policy is the need od of the day to check the law breakers on the roads of Federal Capital.