Following the introduction of the AI-based e-challan system in October 2025, the Karachi traffic authorities are now gearing themselves to make it possible for the officials to issue fines and challans through their mobile phones.
A specially developed mobile application will be installed on the personal phones of authorised traffic officers, enabling them to photograph the violations of traffic at the time of occurrence.
The image will then be automatically sent to e-challan officers who in turn will issue the fine. Each e-challan will also identify the officer that reported the violation.
This move is based on the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), launched on October 27, replacing manual ticketing with Artificial Intelligence-integrated CCTVs to detect offences including over-speeding, violation of red lights and not wearing helmets.
TRACS eliminates human discretion and potential bias whereas TRACS Sahulat centres at major traffic offices assist citizens for payments, clarifications and contesting challans.
Integration with government databases, such as excise and taxation, driving licence system, and Nadra e-Sahulat, modern payment gateways for citizens to view and pay fines online over mobile devices.
Currently 200 cameras are functional throughout Karachi, with an expansion plan to 12,000 city-wide and later other districts of Sindh. Oversight is practised through coordination with the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee.
Ever since it was launched, the system has faced mixed reactions. Critics have used the argument of a lack of infrastructure and high fines, while supporters have praised it for being a step towards reducing traffic violations.
The Sindh government recently proposed to lower the punishment for minor offences and the e-challan system was defended by the provincial government in Sindh High Court citing public safety.
Officials emphasised that the system came into place after stakeholder consultations and, with a focus initially on main roads with proper infrastructure, lanes, signals, service roads, having deployed traffic officers to ensure the system works.
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