Motorway Speed Limits in Pakistan: 120 km/h for Cars, and the Fines

The speed limit on Pakistan's motorways is 120 km/h for cars and light vehicles, and 110 km/h for buses, coaches and trucks. On national highways it is 100 km/h for cars and 80 km/h for heavy vehicles. A speeding ticket from the Motorway Police costs a car driver Rs 2,500.

Those limits came back on 21 June 2026. From 12 March 2026 the government had cut them by 20 km/h to save fuel, so many drivers still remember 100 km/h on the motorway. That cut has been withdrawn. We read the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) press releases for both dates, its revised fines chart and the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000, the law that sets the rules of the road on motorways and national highways.

Motorway speed limits in Pakistan right now

Cars and light transport vehicles may drive at up to 120 km/h on a motorway. Public service vehicles and heavy transport vehicles may drive at up to 110 km/h. On national highways the limits are 100 km/h and 80 km/h. A posted sign can set a lower limit.

Light transport vehicles (LTVs) are small vans and pickups. Public service vehicles (PSVs) are buses, coaches and wagons that carry paying passengers. Heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) are trucks and trailers.

The law also sets a ceiling. The Fifth Schedule of the Ordinance caps rural motorways at 130 km/h and urban motorways at 110 km/h, with a minimum speed of 65 km/h on a rural motorway. The government sets the working limit below that ceiling and puts it on signs. So the sign in front of you always wins. Near toll plazas, interchanges, road works and in fog the posted limit is often much lower.

Driving too slowly is also a fault. The motorway rules in the Ordinance tell drivers not to go below the posted minimum speed unless traffic forces them to.

The 2026 fuel-saving cut has ended

The lower limits ran from 12 March 2026 to 21 June 2026. NHMP announced on 21 June that the government had withdrawn the temporary cut and restored 120 km/h for cars and 110 km/h for heavy vehicles. Older signs or messages showing 100 km/h are out of date.

The cut was ordered on the Prime Minister's instructions to save fuel. NHMP said in its releases during the cut that it put up more than 1,100 signboards and banners about the new limits. It also reported fining more than 68,000 vehicles for speeding during that period. Most of those boards should be gone. If you still see one on your route, follow the lower number, because a posted sign is the limit at that spot.

If you plan a long drive, it is worth checking whether a motorway is open or closed before you leave. Fog closures each winter are the other reason your trip can slow down.

Speeding fines and points on the motorway

NHMP's revised fines chart lists Rs 2,500 for a car caught speeding, Rs 1,500 for a motorcycle, Rs 5,000 for a heavy transport vehicle and Rs 10,000 for a public service vehicle. Speeding by 40 km/h or more also adds 6 points to your licence record.

The chart lists the speeding fine for cars, motorcycles, PSVs and HTVs only. We put LTVs with cars on that row because both share the same speed limit, but the chart does not name them for speeding. The chart is undated. It also says these fines do not apply on provincial highways or on roads inside city and district municipal limits. Those roads belong to the provincial traffic police, and Punjab has its own fines and a separate penalty points system.

Points matter more than most drivers think. Under section 86 of the Ordinance, more than 10 points in two years brings a written warning. More than 20 points in two years means the Motorway Police can suspend your licence for six months, and extend that by another six. The Eleventh Schedule gives 6 points for speeding by 40 km/h or more, 6 for dangerous overtaking and 6 for reckless driving.

A very high speed can go beyond a ticket. Section 66 says a speeding conviction needs a speed reading from a mechanical or electronic device, such as a speed gun. Section 81 lets a uniformed officer arrest, without a warrant, a driver going 30 per cent above the limit. On a 120 km/h motorway that is 156 km/h, our own arithmetic. The Tenth Schedule also lists driving 40 km/h over the limit among the major violations, which can bring a court fine and possible jail.

Lane rules on Pakistan's motorways

Keep left unless you are overtaking, overtake only on the right, and change one lane at a time. Trucks, buses with trailers and any vehicle towing a trailer must stay in the far left lane. Never overtake from the left lane or on the shoulder.

These rules come from Part VII of the Eighth Schedule, written for motorway driving. In plain words:

1. Join from the slip road with care. Match your speed, check the mirror and over your right shoulder, and join only when there is a safe gap.
2. Stay in your lane. Do not weave between lanes. Change lane only when you need to, and never cross more than one lane at a time.
3. Overtake on the right. Moving left to pass a slower car is not allowed, and the left lane and shoulder are never for overtaking.
4. Heavy vehicles keep to the far left lane. They may leave it only to overtake or when safety demands it.
5. Keep your distance. The Ordinance asks for one metre for every 2 km/h, which is 60 metres at 120 km/h.
6. Do not stop on the shoulder to pick up or drop anyone. In a breakdown, move onto the shoulder, switch on hazard lights and place a red warning triangle 50 to 100 metres behind the car.
7. Never reverse or U-turn. Driving against the traffic, even on the shoulder, and crossing the central divider are both banned.

The 60 metre figure is our own calculation from the Ordinance's rule. In rain or fog, leave much more. NHMP also runs campaigns on high beam use at night, as its recent crackdown in Punjab showed.

Paying or disputing a motorway ticket

Officers issue motorway tickets on a handheld device at the roadside. Pay within the time printed on the ticket. If you think a ticket is wrong, call the NHMP helpline 130 or use its complaint cell. Never pay through a link sent by SMS or WhatsApp.

We have set out the payment routes, the complaint cell and the lost-ticket advice for a Motorway Police challan separately. One point is worth repeating here. When we checked, NHMP had no public online tool to look up a ticket by plate number, so keep the paper or screenshot you are given.

The toll is a separate charge from any fine. Check the motorway toll rates for your trip, and keep your M-Tag topped up.

Common questions

What is the speed limit on the motorway in Pakistan?

120 km/h for cars and light vehicles, and 110 km/h for buses, coaches and trucks. A lower posted sign always applies at that spot.

Is the motorway speed limit still 100 km/h?

No. The 100 km/h limit was a fuel-saving cut from 12 March 2026. NHMP announced on 21 June 2026 that it had ended and the 120 km/h limit was back.

What is the fine for overspeeding on the motorway?

Rs 2,500 for a car, Rs 1,500 for a motorcycle, Rs 5,000 for a heavy transport vehicle and Rs 10,000 for a passenger bus or coach, according to NHMP's revised fines chart.

What is the speed limit on national highways like the GT Road?

100 km/h for cars and light vehicles, and 80 km/h for buses and trucks. In towns and near junctions, the posted limit is lower.

Can my licence be suspended for speeding on the motorway?

Yes, through points. Speeding by 40 km/h or more adds 6 points. More than 20 points in two years can bring a six month suspension.

Which lane should I drive in on the motorway?

The left lane, unless you are overtaking. Overtake on the right and move back. Heavy vehicles must stay in the far left lane.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 2 October 2026. The current limits and the end of the cut are from NHMP's press release of 21 June 2026. The March 2026 cut and the ticket and signboard numbers are from its releases of 12 March 2026 and the weeks after. The fines are from NHMP's revised fines chart in Urdu on its infographics page, which carries no date. The ceilings, minimum speed, points, sections 66, 81 and 86 and the lane rules are from the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 as published in the Gazette and hosted on nhmp.gov.pk. That copy is the original 2000 text. Later amendments to the fines may exist that it does not show, which is why we use NHMP's own revised chart for the amounts.