KARACHI: The Karachi Traffic Police have announced new discounts and concessions to encourage people to pay e-challans issued for traffic violations in time.
Under the new policy, first-time offenders will not have to pay their fines if they can write a letter of apology. In case of the second violation, those who clear their fines within 14 days will get a 50% discount. But all penalties must be paid within 21 days, after which the full fine becomes payable.
For instance, a fine for signal jumping can be Rs. 5,000, which can be reduced to Rs. 2,500 if the fine is paid within two weeks. Officials have confirmed that all e-challans cleared within 14 days can avail of the discount.
Meanwhile, the department faced public criticism after a traffic police officer was caught riding a motorcycle without a visible number plate near Karachi’s Expo Center.
The viral video shows him using the wrong indicator and carrying a pistol while on duty; it sparked outrage over the “double standards” of traffic enforcers.
The E-Challan system itself is also in the line of fire for technical errors and less-than-adequate coordination. In one case, a citizen was fined Rs. 5,000 for riding a motorcycle stolen in 2020, while another man was penalized for a helmet violation at a time when he was reportedly at home.
Both incidents have raised serious questions about the accuracy and reliability of Karachi’s automated traffic monitoring system. Citizens are now urging authorities to review and reform the e-challan process to avoid false penalties and to bring back public trust.
