LAHORE: The Punjab government has revised its Motor Transport Policy to govern the acquisition, allocation, utilisation and management of official vehicles procured through public funds – in line with the market and real time situation.

The government, however, drew flak as it came under immense criticism for allowing the Chief Secretary and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to retain three official vehicles each, including one for personal use, and that too of higher engine capacities and fuel limits.

Earlier, both officials were allowed to retain two vehicles of lower engine capacities and less fuel.

The Punjab government has gazette notified the Motor Transport Policy 2026 revising the age-old Motor Transport Policy 2008, which officials said was not meeting modern standards and resulting in undue audit-paras.

“The technological advancements in vehicles and longer distances had prompted the government to revise the policy and allocate better vehicles to the officers,” an officer at the S&GAD told Dawn. He said the fuel limit had been increased by 25 litres for each officer.

In the latest notified policy, the government has significantly revised vehicle engine capacity and monthly fuel limits for bureaucrats from BS-17 to BS-22. The new policy statement, however, calls for cost-effective and efficient use of official vehicles; streamline the deployment of official vehicles across all administrative departments for officers on the cadre strength of Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD).

The policy also defines entitlement and usage limits for the POL/KWh for all eligible officers, as well as standardise the provision of transport for protocol duties in respect of visiting delegations, dignitaries, and VVIPs.

The policy has given a table mentioning officers’ categories, vehicle specifications, engine capacity and fuel limits for officers from BS-17 to BS-22.

For chief secretary and IGP, the policy says both officers are separately entitled to three vehicles – one official vehicle up to 2800cc, one touring vehicle up to 4700cc and one personal use vehicle up to 1800cc. The official and personal use vehicles are entitled to 500 litres and 300 litres petrol per month, respectively, while touring vehicles’ petrol is based on actual consumption.

The ACS (BS-21), SMBR (BS-21&22), administrative secretaries (BS-20&21), Additional IGP (BS-21), are entitled to have one official/ touring vehicle up to 2800cc and one personal use vehicle up to 1800cc, each, having petrol based on actual consumption and 250 litres for personal use vehicle.

Answering a question, the officer concerned said senior officers had been allowed one personal vehicle each to avoid scenes on roads and recalled how officers’ families were embarrassed outside bakeries and educational institutions, where green number plates were seen dropping kids in the morning.

Heads of attached departments and autonomous bodies, project directors, CEOs and other officers of BS-19&21 will have one official vehicle up to 1800cc; special secretaries, DIGs up to 1600cc with 250 litres fuel per month. Additional secretaries of administrative departments will have one official vehicle up to 1600cc and 200 litres fuel. Deputy secretaries one official vehicle up to 1500cc and 175 litre fuel; section officers of BS-17 one official vehicle (subject to availability) up to 1300cc and 150 litres. The staff of each provincial minister have been entitled to one official vehicle up to 1300cc and 125 litres petrol.

The policy has also entitled OSDs in BS-20 and above) one official vehicle and fuel as approved by the finance department. The spouses of deceased officers, who died during the service (BS-20 and above), will have one official vehicle. The spouses of deceased officers, it may be mentioned, were earlier given the facility on an approved note but was not part of the 2008 policy.

Similarly, the new policy has entitled each civil administration and police department officers including divisional commissioners, RPOs, DCs, DPOs, SSPs, ADCs, SPs and ACs, ASPs to have one official/ touring vehicle.

In order to meet specialized situations like giving vehicles for use in hard terrains in Rajanpur and D.G. Khan, the policy has notified a deviation committee led by ACS to consider, examine such cases.The policy explains that the heads of departments would rationalise the use of official vehicles and surrender any surplus vehicles to the respective Motor Transport Office, within two weeks of the enforcement of this policy.

The departments shall retain only such number of official vehicles as corresponds to the sanctioned strength of officers within the respective departments. Any vehicles in excess thereof shall be surrendered forthwith to the respective transport pools.

PROJECT VEHICLES: The policy says all vehicles procured for projects during the past 15 years, as well as those to be procured in the future, shall be surrendered to the respective transport pools of S&GAD and police department, upon completion of the respective projects.

The policy requires that the heads of the departments concerned shall, within one week of project completion, issue a certificate under their signature confirming the surrender of all project vehicles to the respective transport pool of S&GAD and police department.

The heads of departments shall, on a biannual basis, personally certify that no office or officer under their administrative control is in possession of any official vehicle in contravention of the provisions of this policy.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026