LAHORE: In a major push to tackle the province’s worsening air pollution, the Punjab government has finalised a comprehensive, phase-wise plan to crack down on old and heavily polluting vehicles, beginning with Lahore and Faisalabad.
According to sources, the first phase will introduce digital age-verification technology for vehicles in both cities, allowing authorities to confirm a vehicle’s age through a modern digital system rather than relying on paperwork alone. The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the Excise Department have reportedly been tasked with implementing the new system.
The government is also preparing an incentive-based scrapping programme, under which owners who trade in old vehicles for new electric vehicles will receive special rebates. A separate scrappage scheme for ageing buses and vans is also said to be in the works.
Officials confirmed that amendments to the Punjab Motor Vehicles Ordinance are also under consideration, which would create a legal framework for restricting vehicles based on age. The broader plan aims to roll out digital verification across the entire province by 2027, with a single digital platform tracking vehicle age, emission levels, and registration records — part of a wider push to modernise Punjab’s transport system and cut down on urban pollution.
