• 2,662 challans generated within six hours of the launch of Tracs
• 1,535 fined for not wearing seatbelts, only three for driving ‘wrong way’
• JI, Muttahida term initiative exploitative and demand immediate review

KARACHI: As the traffic police imposed fines exceeding Rs12 million by issuing more than 2,600 e-tickets within six hours of the launch of the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (Tracs), opposition parties termed the move “an organised loot of the people” and an attempt to “fill the provincial treasury”, demanding an immediate review of both the fine amounts and the traffic system.

The e-ticketing system was launched by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday. Under the new mechanism, traffic police personnel monitor real-time violations through surveillance cameras installed across the city and dispatch tickets to the home addresses of the violators.

DIG-Traffic Pir Mohammed Shah said that 2,662 e-challans had been issued for multiple violations.

According to a traffic police report, a total of 2,662 e-challans were issued for violations such as crossing the stop line, failing to wear seatbelts, speeding, and riding motorcycles without helmets.

The report revealed that not wearing a seatbelt was the most common offence, with 1,535 challans issued. This was followed by 507 for riding motorcycles without helmets and 419 for speeding. Other violations included 166 for signal jumping, 32 for using a mobile phone while driving, seven for vehicles with tinted windows, five for wrong parking, and three for driving in the wrong direction.

The report also carried a stern warning for car and motorcycle owners regarding potential fines of up to Rs20,000.

While authorities hailed the system as a step towards modern traffic management, opposition parties criticised the move, calling it excessive and poorly timed given the city’s deteriorating road conditions.

JI critical of new system

The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Tuesday criticised the recently launched e-challan system, describing it as “an organised loot of the people”.

Addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-i-Haq, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar said that while the city’s roads were “worse than rural tracks”, traffic fines “surpass global standards”.

He said that within just six hours of the system’s launch, fines worth Rs12.5 million were imposed on citizens.

Mr Zafar demanded an immediate review of the e-challan system.

“Karachi’s roads are in a condition worse than katcha areas [riverine regions], yet the government imposes fines at international rates,” he said, adding that in Punjab, similar fines were ten times lower.

He accused the PPP-led Sindh government of “filling its coffers through heavy fines” instead of educating citizens about traffic rules.

‘A tool to fill provincial kitty’

Lawmakers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) also voiced serious concerns over the implementation of the e-challan system, terming it a financial burden on citizens rather than a solution to traffic chaos.

In a statement, the legislators claimed that the system had become a tool to “fill the provincial treasury” instead of improving road safety.

They pointed out that despite the installation of modern surveillance cameras, “corruption within the traffic police department continues to thrive”.

The MQM-P members highlighted that fines worth over Rs12.5 million were issued within just six hours — a figure they said reflected the “government’s greed” rather than public welfare.

“Citizens continue to face harassment and extortion on roads, as officers openly demand bribes for minor violations,” they alleged.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2025