Lahore orders fresh medical tests for all commercial driving licence holders after Garhi Shahu crash
Lahore commercial driving license holders will have to undergo fresh medical examinations, as traffic authorities tighten checks on drivers after a crash in Garhi Shahu that killed three members of a family.
Lahore’s chief traffic officer said medical examinations, eyesight checks and colour blindness tests are already mandatory for commercial licence applicants, ProPakistani reported. Authorities will now extend the requirement to drivers who were issued commercial licences earlier, and reassess their medical fitness.
Why Lahore commercial driving license holders face new tests
The order follows the Garhi Shahu crash, in which a trailer collided with a car on Allama Iqbal Road, trapping it underneath the heavy vehicle. Three members of one family, a couple and their seven-year-old son, were killed, The Nation reported.
According to figures shared by the traffic chief, commercial vehicles make up 8% of all vehicles on the road but are involved in 45% of accidents. He said driver negligence had been identified in most fatal crashes.
Officials are already compiling records of commercial drivers, and have cancelled the licences of 170 drivers with criminal histories. The traffic chief warned there would be no concessions on fitness certificates for commercial vehicles, placing vehicle condition alongside driver health and conduct as enforcement priorities. He added that accidents recorded this year are down 16% compared with last year.
The move is part of a wider enforcement push across Punjab. In Rawalpindi, authorities have started to impound smoke-emitting vehicles in an anti-smog drive, while the province earlier extended its ban on outdoor drone flights for 30 days over security concerns.
The Garhi Shahu crash that triggered the order
The crash happened late at night on Thursday, when a trailer struck the family’s car on Allama Iqbal Road in Garhi Shahu. Rescue teams had to cut open the car to recover the bodies, which were shifted to a nearby hospital for medico-legal formalities.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. The Punjab inspector general of police took notice of the incident and ordered senior officers to trace the driver and others allegedly involved. The trailer has been impounded.
Road infrastructure is also being upgraded in the region, with Rawalpindi setting a November 2026 deadline for its Rs8bn Peshawar Road underpasses.
Medical counters already running in 13 hospitals
The new order builds on a system the city’s traffic police set up earlier this year. In June, free medical fitness certificate counters were established at 13 government hospitals across Lahore, including DHQ Mian Mir, DHQ Mozang and General Hospital Ghaziabad.
The certificates are mandatory for commercial licence applicants and for drivers over 50. Hospitals upload the certificates directly to a Health Department portal, a step meant to stop fake medical certificates from entering the system.
Extending medical checks to existing licence holders closes an obvious gap: drivers who were certified years ago have never been reassessed. For commuters, the measure means the person behind the wheel of a bus, truck or van on Lahore’s roads will have passed a recent medical. The Lahore High Court has also been weighing in on public safety matters in recent weeks.
Two-wheeler owners face their own paperwork and costs, and those buying on instalments can compare bank scooty finance options in Pakistan.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to take the new medical tests in Lahore?
All existing commercial driving licence holders in Lahore must undergo fresh medical examinations, including eyesight and colour blindness tests.
What triggered the new testing order?
A trailer-car crash in Garhi Shahu on Allama Iqbal Road killed three members of a family, prompting the city’s traffic chief to tighten checks on commercial drivers.
Where can drivers get the medical fitness certificate?
The city’s traffic police run free medical fitness certificate counters at 13 government hospitals in Lahore, including DHQ Mian Mir, DHQ Mozang and General Hospital Ghaziabad.
How many commercial licences have been cancelled?
Traffic authorities have cancelled the licences of 170 drivers with criminal histories while compiling records of commercial drivers in the city.
