Open-letter bike, rickshaw owners eligible for petrol subsidy: IT Minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Monday said owners or users of motorcycles and rickshaws holding vehicles on open transfer letters would be eligible for the government’s petrol subsidy, even if the vehicles had not yet been transferred to their names in official records.

Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, she said the government had introduced a simplified registration process to ensure that the maximum number of eligible people could benefit from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s petrol relief scheme.

The scheme covers motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, motorcycle rickshaws and other two- and three-wheelers, as well as cars with engine capacities of up to 800cc. Eligible beneficiaries will receive a Rs100-per-litre subsidy on petrol.

Shaza Fatima said the government had relaxed conditions for motorcycles and three-wheelers because many people in Pakistan purchase second-hand, third-hand and even fourth-hand vehicles that continue to be registered in the previous owner’s name.

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She said many such vehicles are used on open transfer letters, under which the buyer possesses the vehicle and its documents but has not formally transferred ownership through the relevant excise department.

“Therefore, we have delinked the owner for two-wheelers and three-wheelers. It is still necessary for the car,” she said.

This means a person using a motorcycle or rickshaw purchased on an open transfer letter can register for the subsidy even if the vehicle is still officially registered in the previous owner’s name.

For cars, however, the vehicle must be registered in the applicant’s name to qualify for the subsidy, she added.

Shaza Fatima said eligible applicants could register from home by sending their 13-digit CNIC number, vehicle registration number, first letter of the province where the vehicle is registered, and vehicle registration date to 9771.

The SIM used for registration must be registered in the applicant’s own name and linked to their CNIC.

She said the vehicle registration date would be used as an additional check to establish that the applicant possessed the vehicle’s relevant documentation and to help prevent fraudulent or stolen-vehicle registrations.

After successful registration, beneficiaries will receive a confirmation message.

Before visiting a petrol station, they will then have to send “TOK” to 9771 to obtain a fuel relief token. The token can be presented at a petrol station to receive the subsidised fuel.

Subsidy limits

The minister said motorcycle and three-wheeler users would be eligible for subsidised petrol on up to 20 litres per month, while cars with engine capacities of up to 800cc would qualify for up to 30 litres per month.

Motorcycle and three-wheeler users will receive fuel tokens for five litres at a time, giving them a Rs500 subsidy per transaction.

Eligible small-car users will receive tokens for 10 litres at a time, providing a Rs1,000 subsidy per transaction.

Motorcycle and three-wheeler users can obtain the subsidy once a week, while eligible car users can avail themselves of it once every 10 days.

Shaza Fatima said motorcycles up to 15 years old and cars up to 20 years old would be eligible under the scheme.

She urged eligible citizens to register by sending their details to 9771 and warned that incorrect SIM information or inaccurate vehicle details would prevent successful registration.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the government would allocate Rs25 billion per month for the fuel relief scheme.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the special relief scheme, offering a Rs100-per-litre reduction on petrol for motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, motorcycle rickshaws and other two- and three-wheelers, as well as vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc.