Punjab cabinet approves amendments to Motor Vehicles Rules to legalize motorcycle-rickshaw

LAHORE (92 News) - The 34th meeting of the provincial cabinet held under the chair of Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi at his office on Monday.

The cabinet approved amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules of 1969, extending legal recognition to Qingqi rickshaws. These rickshaws will now be categorized as three-wheelers, with the regional transport authority designated as a special registration authority for the temporary registration of existing motorcycle rickshaws.

Following temporary registration, motorcycle rickshaws will undergo a four-month window for specific size and redesign modifications. Subsequently, they can obtain a registration number from the excise department upon the issuance of a fitness certificate. The CM emphasized the need to streamline the registration process and requested the forms to be prepared in Urdu.

The meeting also sanctioned the permanent fortification of the infrastructure for 18 major roads, allocating toll revenue for their maintenance. Additionally, a decision was made to ring-fence the toll amounts for these roads. Approval was granted to confer medical institution status upon the Dera Ghazi Khan Cardiology Institute under the Punjab Medical and Health Institutions Act of 2003, and an administrative committee was endorsed for its management.

Various measures, including a one-billion-rupee operational expenditure, were given the green light for the establishment of a nursing college in Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital, Muzaffargarh, with the chief minister urging the prompt commencement of classes. The meeting also resolved to convert the 180-bed Rehmatul Lil Alameen block into the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology, endorsing its imminent functionality.

The meeting further approved the Data Darbar revamping project, amendments to police rules, and the implementation of pay scales for 2023, aligning them with those of the federal government.

Meanwhile, Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi laid the foundation stone for the Lady Willingdon Hospital reconstruction project, initiating construction by demolishing the old hospital building's wall with a crane. The chief minister also launched the online learning driving license APP at his office and appreciated PITB and IG police for their efforts.