With all the frustrations over alleged errors and harsh fines, the jury is still out on the Sindh Traffic Police’s newly launched electronic challan (e-challan) system. However, the initiative is seemingly achieving what decades of traditional policing could not, making Karachi’s drivers follow traffic rules.
In just three days, the automated traffic enforcement system issued fines exceeding Rs100 million, targeting violations such as not wearing seatbelts or helmets, speeding, using mobile phones while driving, and running red lights.
A video recently posted on social media by Sindh Police shows cars and motorbikes waiting patiently behind the zebra crossings at stop light, something strange albeit a pleasant sight in Karachi, a city which is defined by the sea of its traffic chaos.
“If they realize they will have to pay for their misdeeds, people start obeying the law,” said one traffic official.
But not everyone seems pleased. Several motorists have complained of receiving challans for no violations, thus pointing at flaws in the identification process of the automated system.
However, trial and error are part of every mechanical system, and one can hope that some tweaking here and there will improve the new e-ticketing system.
E-Challan by the Numbers
According to a traffic police spokesperson, 12,942 e-challans were issued citywide within the first three days of operation, including 5,979 in the past 24 hours alone.
The breakdown of violations is as follows:
- 3,258 motorists fined for not wearing seatbelts
- 1,294 motorcyclists fined for not wearing helmets
- 655 drivers caught over-speeding
- 357 fined for running red lights
- 216 penalized for using mobile phones while driving
