Karachi Motorist Fined with Five E-Challans for a Single Traffic Violation

Multiple flaws continue to surface in Karachi’s electronic traffic challan (e-challan) system, raising serious concerns about its accuracy and fairness. In a recent incident, a motorist received five separate traffic fines in a single day for not wearing a seat belt. According to reports, three of the fines were issued on the Expressway and Maripur Road, while two were recorded near Hassan Square. Records indicate that the violations were logged on October 30 — three around noon and two around midnight — all for the same alleged offense.

The driver, who works in the transport sector, expressed frustration over the repeated fines, calling the incident unjust and urging authorities to take corrective measures. This case adds to growing criticism of Karachi’s e-challan system, which many motorists describe as error-prone and poorly managed.

Earlier cases have also exposed major issues with the system’s implementation. On October 31, a motorcycle that was reported stolen four years ago was inexplicably issued an e-challan for a recent traffic violation. The owner, whose bike was stolen in 2020 from the Tariq Road area near Tipu Sultan, confirmed that a police report had been filed at the time but the vehicle was never recovered. Despite this, the system still generated a traffic fine for the same stolen motorcycle.

In another recent incident, a citizen was fined for a traffic violation he did not commit. The e-challan, issued on October 27 around 9:45 a.m., accused him of riding a motorcycle without a helmet at Teen Talwar, Clifton. However, the man stated that he was at home in Scheme 33 at the time of the alleged violation.

The e-challan contained several inconsistencies, including mismatched registration numbers and a photo that did not correspond to the number plate listed. Official records later confirmed that the alphanumeric registration and the number plate shown in the image did not match, revealing another flaw in the system’s verification process.

These repeated technical and administrative errors have raised concerns among Karachi’s motorists, who are calling for a thorough review and overhaul of the e-challan system to prevent wrongful fines and restore public trust.