STRIKE ALERT: Transporters Announce Revolt Against New Fine Law on December 8th

Transport operations across Punjab are bracing for major disruption as transport unions have announced a province-wide strike starting December 8 in protest against the implementation of new, significantly higher traffic fines, Express News reported.
The Transport Action Committee confirmed on Wednesday that transporters will observe a complete shutdown across Punjab on December 8, citing the “widespread issuance of heavy penalties” as the reason for the protest.
Following the initial one-day strike, they have threatened to completely cease public and goods transport services on December 10 if their demands are not met.
The Islamabad Transport Federation has also thrown its support behind the movement, declaring the current penalty levels unacceptable.
The unrest is directed at the Punjab Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025, which the provincial government enforced in late November. The new legislation imposes drastically increased fines for a range of traffic violations, including speeding, signal jumping, and vehicle overloading. The transport unions argue that they place an unbearable financial burden on drivers.
The severity of the new enforcement measures was highlighted last week when the traffic police launched a 48-hour crackdown.
Transporter associations are calling for a revision of the penalties, warning that the current restrictions on the movement of goods could slow the supply of essential products, leading to supply bottlenecks and higher consumer costs.
The planned strike underscores a growing conflict between the provincial government’s intensified traffic enforcement drive and the drivers’ ability to comply with the rapidly rising financial penalties, leaving the movement of millions of commuters and tonnes of goods in jeopardy.