After e-challans, robot cars to curb no-parking violations in Karachi

KARACHI: After e-challans, Karachi police have developed “robot cars” equipped with automated cameras to issue fines and penalties for no-parking violations in the city’s busiest commercial areas.

Traffic Admin Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kashif Nadeem told Brackly News that the department had completed preparations for the new system, under which the specially equipped vehicles will begin patrolling the markets of Saddar and Tariq Road in the first phase.

The robot cars, moving at a speed of around 20 kilometres per hour, will continuously scan the roads and automatically issue e-tickets to any cars or motorcycles found double-parked or in no-parking zones, he added.

The DSP explained that the Karachi Traffic Police were already issuing no-parking e-challans to the violators through Safe City cameras.

Currently, a no-parking violation results in a fine of Rs10,000 for cars and Rs2,000 for motorcycles, he added.

The official further revealed that the robot camera cars operated by drivers will independently identify illegally parked vehicles and carry out e-ticketing without requiring on-ground police intervention in the next stage.

E-challan system

The Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS) was launched on October 27, aimed at replacing the outdated manual ticketing process with a fully automated e-ticketing mechanism, utilising advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as over-speeding, red light jumping, and helmet non-compliance.

But since its inauguration, the news system has sparked debate with critics pointing to the lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure in Karachi to support its implementation.

Expressing surprise over the development, the hotel management maintained that they are willing to pay the fine but only if the authorities recover and return the stolen vehicle.

In a similar incident last month, a bike owner had received an e-challan for his stolen bike, which remains unrecovered four years after it went missing. The owner claimed his vehicle was stolen from the Tipu Sultan police premises. Ironically, he received an e-ticket worth Rs5,000 on October 27 for not wearing a helmet, despite having filed a theft complaint.

Another affected citizen had told Brackly News that he received an e-challan despite never committing any traffic violation. “The number plate shown in the photo is different from the one written in text on the same challan,” he said, calling it a glaring error.

— Thumbnail image by Reuters