Open Letter Bikes and the Rs100 Petrol Subsidy

Written by Tayyab Qureshi · Updated 9 Oct 2026

Why the government allowed open-letter vehicles

The PM Fuel Relief Scheme allows open-letter motorcycles and rickshaws because a large share of second-hand two-wheelers in Pakistan are sold on open transfer letters and never formally transferred at the excise office. IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government delinked vehicle ownership for two- and three-wheelers so these riders, often the lowest-income users, are not excluded.

An open transfer letter (often called an "open letter" or "open file") is a signed transfer form left without the buyer's details, so the vehicle can be resold without visiting the excise office. The bike keeps the original owner's name in official records.

Bikes versus cars: the ownership rule side by side

Situation	Motorcycle · Rickshaw · Qingqi	Car up to 800cc
Registered in your name	Eligible	Eligible
Bought on open transfer letter, still in seller's name	Eligible	Not eligible
Vehicle belongs to a family member	Likely eligible, since ownership is delinked (rider registers with own CNIC)	Only the registered owner can register
Company-owned vehicle	Not clarified	Not clarified

How to register an open-letter motorcycle

Registration for an open-letter bike uses the same REG message as any other vehicle. The difference is that the CNIC in the message is yours, not the name on the registration book.

1. 1

   Step 1

   Use a SIM registered on your CNIC.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Take the plate number and original registration date from the bike's registration book.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Use the province code where the bike was registered.

4. 4

   Step 4 · Final step

   Send: REG [your CNIC] [plate] [province code] [registration date DDMMYYYY] to 9771.

Full walkthrough with examples: 9771 SMS registration guide.

Things that can still block an open-letter bike

• Someone else registered it first. Reports indicate each vehicle can be linked to only one CNIC. If the previous owner or another buyer already registered the bike, your registration may fail.
• Registration date. The bike must have been registered on or after 1 January 2006, after the rule was relaxed on 19 September 2026.
• Registration book missing. Without the exact plate and registration date, the excise check will fail. Get them from your province's online vehicle record: in Punjab you can download an e-registration card.
• SIM not in your name. The CNIC-SIM check still applies to you.

Open-letter cars: what to do instead

An 800cc car bought on an open transfer letter cannot be registered for the PM Fuel Relief Scheme until it is transferred into the buyer's name, because cars must be registered to the applicant. The buyer needs to complete the transfer at the provincial excise and taxation office, then send the 9771 registration SMS once the new ownership shows in excise records.

Transfer fees and documents differ by province. Budget time: the new ownership must be reflected in records before the 9771 check will pass.

Our view

For open-letter bike owners, register now rather than later. Because each vehicle can be linked to only one CNIC, the first valid registration for a plate is likely to hold. If you bought the bike from someone who still rides a different bike, ask them not to register the one they sold you.

Check the full full eligibility rules, or go to the PM Fuel Relief Scheme overview.

Sources. Official: Radio Pakistan, 25 Sep 2026 and APP, 25 Sep 2026 (ownership requirement dropped for rented bikes and rickshaws); Radio Pakistan, 15 Sep 2026. News: Dawn, 19 Sep 2026; Express Tribune, 19 Sep 2026.

SchemesPK is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the Government of Pakistan.