Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said first-time offenders caught by the newly implemented e-traffic ticketing system can have their fine quashed within 10 days by appearing in person and tendering an apology, according to a press release.
The CM on Monday inaugurated the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), commonly known as e-ticketing system, at the Central Police Office (CPO).
He explained that the new system replaces the obsolete manual ticketing process with a fully automated electronic ticketing mechanism, which uses advanced CCTV cameras integrated with artificial intelligence to detect violations such as speeding, red light jumping and non-compliance with helmet use.
According to the press release, CM Shah received a report from Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon detailing violations of traffic rules under the new system, which has imposed fines on 35 official vehicles for various violations.
“According to the report, the e-challans were issued for violations such as not wearing seat belt, running red lights, using tinted windows and using mobile phones while driving,” the press release stated.
The report revealed that a police vehicle was fined for seat belt violation on Lyari Highway at 1.36 pm on Tuesday. Deputy Inspector General of Traffic Peer Muhammad Shah informed the Prime Minister that the driver of the vehicle was observed not wearing a seat belt twice between Garden and Lyari Expressway, prompting the automated system to issue a fine of Rs 10,000, the press release said.
“The CM said that first-time offenders can have their fine waived within 10 days if they appear in person and tender an apology,” the press release stated.
“Even the police must follow traffic rules. This system upholds justice and accountability for all citizens,” said CM Shah.
The press release added that the provincial chief executive underlined the importance of traffic law enforcement for public safety and ordered that while first-time offenders may have their challans waived, repeat offenders would pay fines without exception.
“All citizens have equal rights under the law; compliance must be ensured across the board,” added CM Shah.
On Tuesday, Karachi Traffic Police issued more than 2,650 e-challans following the inauguration of the new e-ticketing system. According to the Sindh Police, 1,535 challans were issued for not wearing a seat belt, 507 challans for riding a motorcycle without a helmet, 419 for speeding, 166 for jumping a red light and 32 for using a mobile phone while driving.
Additionally, seven challans were issued for putting window tint on vehicles, five challans each for improper parking and parking in a no-parking zone, four for stop line violation and three for lane line violation and wrong-way driving.
In June, the Sindh government decided that e-challans for traffic violations would be delivered to the registered residential addresses of vehicle owners. The sale or transfer of vehicles with unpaid fines will not be permitted.
The decision came at a time when Karachi witnessed a rise in road accidents, particularly involving dump trucks and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data.
The series of deadly incidents sparked protests over citizen deaths, prompting the provincial government to ban heavy vehicles during the day and require them to obtain fitness certificates.
