The Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) on Tuesday launched the e-challan system in Gujranwala, shifting from manual to automated enforcement of traffic rules across the district.
According to officials, 1,066 high-definition surveillance cameras have been activated to record violations such as driving without helmets or seatbelts, using non-standard number plates, and other breaches of traffic regulations. The system will automatically generate challans and send them directly to violators via mobile message.
A PSCA spokesperson said the camera network, already used for identifying suspects in thefts and robberies, will now also help enforce road safety laws more effectively.
SP Safe City Authority Gujranwala, Irfan Salhriya, said the system had been under testing for two months to resolve technical issues and is now fully operational. “From today, e-challans are being issued, and cameras will monitor traffic around the clock,” he said.
He added that previously, over 500,000 vehicles were manually checked daily by wardens and patrolling police, but much of the process will now be handled automatically through the camera network. Authorities have cautioned that unpaid fines within the stipulated period will double or lead to legal action.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the chief secretary, traffic DIG, and other officials after a petition challenged what it termed as “heavy and unjustified” e-challan fines imposed by traffic authorities.
Petitioner Syed Johar Abbas argued that the fines were excessively high compared to other cities and beyond the affordability of the working class. His counsel stated that the minimum monthly wage in Sindh is Rs40,000, while a traffic signal violation by a motorcyclist in Karachi incurs a Rs5,000 fine — about 12.5% of a worker’s income — compared to Rs200 in Lahore.
The petition also pointed out that several traffic signals across Karachi, including in Hasan Square, Saddar, Nazimabad, and Garden, were non-functional, while many roads lacked proper lanes and visible speed limit signs. Despite these issues, the counsel said, e-challans were still being issued through installed cameras.
The petitioner requested the suspension of e-challan operations and a review of fine structures to align them with the economic realities of the province. The court, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, sought comments from the Sindh chief secretary, DIG traffic, excise department, and others on the matter.
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