Karachi’s new faceless e-challan system continues to tighten enforcement against traffic rule violations, with nearly 3,500 fines issued in a single day on Monday.
According to details released by the city’s traffic police, a total of 3,485 e-challans were issued, with the majority — 2,433 — handed out to drivers for not wearing seat belts on Monday.
The traffic police reported that 511 citizens were fined for not wearing helmets, 78 for using mobile phones while driving, 27 for wrong-way driving, and 51 for overspeeding.
Additionally, 45 e-challans were issued against vehicles carrying passengers on bus rooftops, while five citizens were fined for violating zebra crossings, the traffic police added.
The Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS) has sparked debate since its launch on October 28, with critics pointing to the lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure in Karachi to support its implementation.
A milestone or bump in the road?
The new system replaces the outdated manual ticketing process with a fully automated e-ticketing mechanism, utilising advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as over-speeding, red light jumping and helmet non-compliance.
The system removes human discretion, confrontation and potential bias, ensuring fairness and accountability on the roads.
TRACS Sahulat centres at major traffic offices and police stations will now offer support to citizens for paying fines, clarifying violations and contesting challans.
This groundbreaking initiative is set to transform the province’s approach to traffic management, exemplifying a strong commitment to transparency, modernisation and citizen well-being.
The integration of TRACS with key government databases, including excise and taxation, the driving licence system and NADRA e-Sahulat, and modern payment gateways allows citizens to view and pay traffic fines securely online or via their mobile devices.
The TRACS app further simplifies the process, empowering users to monitor violations and settle challans in real-time.
In its initial phase, 200 cameras have been installed across Karachi, with plans to expand to 12,000 cameras city-wide and eventually to other districts in Sindh. The system’s integration with the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee ensures transparent oversight and redressal.
Riddled with errors
Despite all the hype, the TRACS has come under fire after a citizen reported major errors.
An affected citizen told Geo News last week that he received an e-challan despite never committing any traffic violation. “The number plate shown in the photo is different from the one written in text on the same challan,” he said, calling it a glaring error.
He added that the challan stated he was fined Rs2,500 for riding without a helmet at 9:45am near Clifton’s Teen Talwar — while he was at home in Scheme 33 at that exact time.
Following growing criticism, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed traffic authorities to waive motorists’ first e-challan as a goodwill gesture, while warning that repeat offenders would face strict action.
Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh MPA Muhammad Farooq submitted a resolution demanding an immediate review of the e-challan system.
He termed the heavy fines “unjust” and called for the withdrawal of the notification imposing Rs5,000 penalties on motorcyclists. “Karachi’s roads are broken, signboards are missing, yet citizens are being punished — this must stop,” he said.
Separately, the Markazi Muslim League filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court, challenging the legality of the e-challan system. The petition names the Sindh government, DIG Traffic, and NADRA among the respondents, claiming that citizens are being threatened with the blocking of their identity cards for non-payment of fines.
“The entire city’s infrastructure lies in ruins; imposing such heavy fines is nothing less than an ordeal for Karachi’s residents,” the petition stated, questioning why fines in Karachi are Rs5,000 while in Lahore they are just Rs200. The petitioners have urged the court to fix the case for urgent hearing.
