Police resorted to baton-charge earlier today as scores of applicants desperate to apply for or renew driving licenses thronged Motor Vehicle Inspection and Driving Licence branches in the city’s Clifton and North Nazimabad areas.
Hundreds of people had reached the Clifton, Nazimabad and Korangi driving license branches to get their licenses issued after DIG-Traffic Dr. Amir Sheikh warned the Karachi drivers to get their licenses issued or renewed within the shortest possible time.
He had also warned that violators could be sent to jail under a provision of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance.
Clifton’s driving license branch was sealed as a crowd of applicants chanted slogans to enter the office. Meanwhile, at the Nazimabad branch, police baton-charged applicants to disperse the burgeoning crowd.
Taking notice of the disorder, Sindh Home Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal ordered an extension of one month on the date to get licenses issued or renewed. He also ordered an inquiry against the three license branches.
“For those people who have their driving licenses but do not carry them with them, we would give them a chance to bring the document and show it to us to get their vehicles released,” DIG-Traffic Dr. Amir Sheikh said. “Those who do not have licenses altogether or have fake ones would face a harsh penalty and imprisonment of up to one month. Their vehicles would also be impounded.”
He claimed that the entire exercise aimed to streamline driving on city roads.
While admitting there would be so much pressure on driving license branches in the city after the traffic police’s announcement, the DIG claimed that all arrangements to help a maximum number of applicants had been made.
According to official figures, only 1.2 million people in the metropolis have driving licenses, whereas the total number of registered vehicles in Karachi is 3.8m.
How to get a license made
The procedure to apply for a driving license with a validity of three or five years is as follows:
- Print the Medical Fitness and Drivers Licence Form from the Capital City Police Karachi website’s download page.
- Paste two passport-size photographs to your medical fitness and application form.
- Attach a copy of your Computerised National Identity Card.
- Attach a medical fitness certificate, which a medical doctor will conduct at the licensing office.
- Attach your original learner driving permit
- Pay the applicable fee at the nearest post office.
- Buy and study ‘The Highway and Motor Code.’
- Arrive at the branch nearest to your area and go to the information desk to get your papers checked.
- Follow the instructions given by the information desk.
How to get a learners license made
The procedure to apply for a learners license is as follows:
- Download and print the Medical Fitness and Learners Drivers Licence Form from the Capital City Police Karachi website’s
- Paste two passport-size photographs to your medical fitness and application form.
- Attach a copy of your Computerised National Identity Card.
- Have your papers checked by the information desk at the Driving License Branch.
- Pay the applicable fee at the nearest post office.
- Buy and study ‘The Highway and Motor Code.’
- Attain a medical fitness certificate from the medical officer.
- Get your photograph taken at the License Branch office.
- Receive your learner’s license
