LAHORE, June 2, 2025: The Punjab Government has announced the deadline of June 30 for car owners to get their emission levels checked. The provincial government has announced strict penalties for cars emitting smoke beyond certain accepted levels, to control persistent smog problems.
READ MORE: Emission Testing: Booths Set Up To Facilitate Car Owners In Lahore
To facilitate denizens of Lahore, the provincial government has also established multiple emissions testing booths, across multiple locations in the provincial capital. Until June 30, this testing is free, after which the testing will be charged and the violators will also be punished.
However, now yet another challenge has come to light with regards to Punjab’s emission testing policy. Media reports show that Punjab has a total of 25 million registered vehicles, with a whopping 80% of them being motorcycles. However, neither the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor the government of Punjab have implemented any mechanism to counter the emissions from motorcycles. Moreover, three-wheelers have also not been included in the emission testing mechanism so far. For reference, there are over five million motorcycles only running on Lahore’s roads.
PakWheels Chairman Suneel Sarfraz Munj, speaking to media, has criticized this exclusion. He has said that these two-wheelers and three-wheelers not only contribute most to the road traffic but as compared to cars, a higher proportion of these are contributing to smog. He said that ensuring cars are clean will still not matter if these are not included as well.
Munj also highlighted that a big reason for harmful emissions is the poor-quality fuel and so far there has been no regulation in that regard either.
Smog has become a pandemic for Pakistan, especially Lahore, during every winter season. During the last two winters, Punjab has had to close down schools and markets to counter the harmful effects of smog.
READ MORE: Punjab Govt Extends Vehicle Emissions Testing Deadline
This year, the provincial government implemented strict laws and penalties for vehicles emitting smoke as well as industrial units that contribute to air pollution.
For the most part of winters, Lahore also remained atop the list of most polluted cities in the world with AQI levels ranking as extremely hazardous. The car emissions testing is part of the broader efforts of the government to overcome this challenge of smog and air pollution.
