LAHORE: The City Traffic Police finally launched on Friday a digital challan app to be used by 3,000 authorised challan officers of police, replacing the decades old system by a new one to deal with the traffic violators in the provincial capital.

The authorities claim it to be the first scheme of its kind in the country launched with the help of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).

Capital City Police Officer retired Capt Amin Wains, PITB chairman Dr Umer Saif, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rai Ijaz and all the top brass of the traffic police in Lahore attended the event.

Declaring the application a landmark achievement, CTO Ijaz said the pilot project would be extended to other cities of the province after monitoring the operation.

Sharing salient feature of the ‘Digital Challan app’, he termed it an important opportunity for the traffic police to shift from the manual challan system to the digital one.

App to provide data on traffic violations of offenders

“In the first phase, the app would provide a database of the nature of traffic violation, violator and the vehicle to make the violation history available with one click. In the second phase, e-Challan application would be used, having a feature of electronic payment while in the third phase, with the help of cameras e-Challan would be introduced to deduct points.”

He said with the help of this new initiative, the department would be able to nab all the habitual offenders.

“At present, more than 1,600,000 challans are pending in the courts as the violators didn’t approach the courts to receive their computerised national identity cards (CNICs), driving licences or registration books,” Mr Ijaz revealed.

He lamented that the offenders would get the duplicate documents of the respective departments instead of collecting original from the courts.

“Under the new scheme, it would not be possible for the violators to dodge the law enforcement agencies,” he predicted

A control room had been established to monitor live footage through 250 CCTV cameras installed at 40 points of the city to improve the security environment while all sectors had been equipped with biometric devices, computers, printers and other allied equipment, the CTO added.

PITB chairman Dr Umar Saif said automation of various functions of the city traffic police through technological solutions had become a success story with the hard work of the police officials to bring about reforms in the traffic management system.

The ‘Digital Challan’ is a pilot project developed by the PITB to digitalize the traffic challan system of Lahore.

“This application will be used by 3,000 authorised challan officers who are performing their duties in three shifts in the 34 traffic sectors of Lahore,” he said.

Dr Saif added that 4,500 manual challans were being accounted every day currently in Lahore and with the induction of Digital Challan application, the system would ensure 100pc accountability and transparency.

The Lahore CCPO lauded the PITB for extending support to the police.

He urged the traffic wardens that challan should be the last resort after creating awareness and they must show maximum tolerance and respect to the commuters.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2018