Get a Route Permit for a Bus, Taxi or Goods Vehicle in Punjab: Fees and Papers

A bus, wagon, taxi or goods vehicle in Punjab needs a route permit before it carries passengers or goods for hire. A goods vehicle permit costs Rs 2,550 for three years, a bus permit Rs 1,100 to Rs 2,000 a year, a taxi Rs 850, plus a Rs 650 application fee. Apply at your district RTA or online on the PDTG portal.

The route permit is the licence for the vehicle's work, separate from the driver's licence and the registration. Without it, a commercial vehicle is on the road illegally. We read the Punjab Transport Department's route permit procedure and FAQs, its April 2021 fee notification and the Punjab Provincial Transport Authority's pages on 2 October 2026. The fees below come from that notification, which is still the one linked on the procedure page.

Which vehicles need a route permit in Punjab

Every public service vehicle and every goods vehicle in Punjab needs a route permit under the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965. That covers buses and wagons on fixed routes, taxis and rickshaws for hire, and trucks and pickups carrying goods for others.

The Transport Department sorts permits into three kinds, each with its own life span:

• Stage carriage permits are for buses and wagons on intercity and urban routes. They last one year.
• Contract carriage permits are for motor cab taxis, rickshaws and motorcycle rickshaws. They last one year.
• Public and private carrier permits are for goods vehicles. They last three years.

Rickshaws and qingqis follow the same rules but have their own fee and limits, set out in full for a rickshaw or qingqi route permit in Punjab.

Route permit fees for buses, taxis and goods vehicles

The Transport Department's notification of 9 April 2021 sets a Rs 650 application fee for every grant or renewal. On top of it, a bus or wagon pays Rs 1,100 to Rs 2,000 a year by route class, a taxi Rs 850, and a goods vehicle Rs 2,550 for three years.

The notification does not define the A, B and M route classes. The Provincial Transport Authority lists route classification charts on its website, but the page showed no content when we opened it. Ask the RTA which class your route falls in before you pay.

The same notification sets other charges: Rs 300 late fee for renewal, Rs 600 to transfer a permit, Rs 500 for a duplicate, Rs 500 hearing fee for a transport appeal, and Rs 100 for attested copies of appeal orders.

Papers you need for a route permit

The Transport Department asks for an affidavit, your CNIC copy, the registration book, proof of token tax, a valid fitness certificate and third-party risk insurance. An intercity bus or wagon also needs a passenger guarantee.

Get the fitness certificate first, because the permit cannot be issued without it. The VICS helpline is 042-111-678-711, and the rules on testing are explained for commercial vehicle fitness in Punjab. Commercial vehicles also pay their own Punjab token tax, which must be clear. For the insurance, the difference between third-party and comprehensive cover is set out in the steps to get car insurance in Pakistan.

How to apply for a route permit, step by step

Pass the fitness test, buy insurance and clear token tax. Then apply online on the PDTG route permit portal or at your District Regional Transport Authority. Air-conditioned vehicles apply to the Provincial Transport Authority in Lahore. Pay by bank challan or PSID and collect the permit.

1. Pass the fitness test at a VICS station. A vehicle that fails must be repaired and tested again.
2. Buy third-party risk insurance and clear any token tax.
3. Pick the right office. An air-conditioned vehicle goes to the Punjab Provincial Transport Authority, 91 Shadman II, Lahore. Every other vehicle goes to the DRTA office in its region.
4. Apply online or at the counter. The PDTG portal at pdtg-transport.punjab.gov.pk/route-permit lets an individual or a company sign up, add vehicles and apply. The Transport Department links video guides for each step.
5. Pay the fee. Pay at any National Bank of Pakistan branch, over the counter through the GoPb Biller, or through any bank's app. The portal also generates a PSID at any hour.
6. Collect the permit. The Provincial Transport Authority says permits from the new system carry a QR code that can be checked online.

Renew a month early to avoid the late fee

Apply for renewal one month before the permit expires, with the Rs 650 fee. Miss it and you pay a Rs 300 late fee for every month or part of a month, so a renewal three months late costs Rs 900 extra.

A bus permit lasts one year, so mark the date the day you collect it. A goods permit lasts three years, which makes it easy to forget. Keep the fitness certificate and insurance current too, because the same papers are checked again.

The driver needs the right licence as well. A bus or truck driver needs a heavy vehicle licence, and the rules to get an HTV licence in Punjab include a minimum age of 22.

Common questions

How much is a route permit for a goods vehicle in Punjab?

Rs 2,550 for three years for the first district, plus Rs 200 for each extra district, and a Rs 650 application fee.

Where do I apply for a route permit in Punjab?

At your District Regional Transport Authority, or online on the PDTG route permit portal. Air-conditioned vehicles apply to the Provincial Transport Authority in Lahore.

How long is a Punjab route permit valid?

One year for buses, wagons, taxis and rickshaws. Three years for goods vehicles.

Can I get a route permit without a fitness certificate?

No. A valid fitness certificate is on the Transport Department's list of required papers.

What is the fee to transfer a route permit in Punjab?

Rs 600, under the April 2021 notification. A duplicate permit costs Rs 500.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 2 October 2026. We read the Transport Department's route permit procedure and its FAQs, and its route permit fee notification No. SO(P-I)2-1/2017 (RPBW) of 9 April 2021, a two page scan we read as images. We read the Provincial Transport Authority's route permit regime page and opened the PDTG portal's login page, but did not apply. We found no newer fee notification. If the RTA counter quotes a different amount, the receipt it gives you is the figure that counts.