Pakistan officially lowers speed limits on motorways, highways to save fuel

2026-03-28 - 04:51

ISLAMABAD – The National Highways and Motorways Police (NHMP) has announced new maximum speed limits for vehicles on roads across the country in a move to promote fuel conservation amid ongoing austerity measures. Authorities said the changes are part of efforts to ensure more efficient fuel usage while maintaining road safety standards. The NHMP urged drivers to comply with the new limits to support national fuel-saving initiatives and avoid penalties. Maximum Speed on Motorways Under the updated regulations, cars and light transport vehicles (LTVs) are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 100 km/h on motorways, while passenger service vehicles (PSVs) and heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) are restricted to 90 km/h. Speed Limit on Highways On highways, the speed limits have been set at 80 km/h for cars and LTVs, with PSVs and HTVs limited to 65 km/h. A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declined a proposal to raise petrol prices by Rs 95 per litre and diesel by Rs 203 per litre, citing the financial difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. In a televised address, he stated that the federal government would once again absorb a subsidy of Rs 56 billion this week. “Based on current market rates, petrol in Pakistan should cost Rs 544 per litre, but it is being sold at Rs 322. Similarly, diesel should be priced at Rs 790 per litre, yet the government provides it at Rs 335 to shield people from the impact,” he explained. The prime minister highlighted that since the regional fuel crisis began, the government has borne a total burden of Rs 125 billion. While these funds could have been allocated to development projects, he emphasized that protecting the public’s economic well-being is his top priority, urging citizens to adopt measures to reduce fuel consumption in their daily lives.