Karachi issues 96 e-challans on Sharea Faisal as lane enforcement enters second day

KARACHI: Karachi Traffic Police continued issuing e-challans on Sharea Faisal for a second consecutive day, applying what officials described as a phased enforcement strategy while allowing limited leniency during the initial stage of the lane-discipline drive.

Deputy Inspector General Traffic Karachi Pir Muhammad Shah said the electronic monitoring system had recorded hundreds of challans on the first day of implementation for lane violations along one of the city’s busiest arteries. He said 96 challans were issued on the second day for speeding and for rickshaws, commercial vehicles and helmetless motorcyclists using the fast-track lane.

According to the DIG traffic, the current phase is intended to gradually familiarise commuters with the new system. He said challans are, for now, being issued only during morning and evening peak hours as part of that transition.

Shah said motorcyclists, rickshaws and commercial vehicles have been strictly instructed not to enter the fast-track lane. He added that bikers using the second lane from the right are not being fined at this stage, but said penalties for that violation will be imposed in the coming days as enforcement is tightened further.

Phased implementation

The traffic police official said motorcyclists and commercial vehicles should remain in the third and fourth lanes to help maintain smoother traffic movement on Sharea Faisal. He also warned that once the transition period ends, enforcement will be expanded to include challans for violations involving the second lane from the right.

While outlining the department’s approach, Shah said the purpose was to improve compliance without relying heavily on penalties.

Our aim is to keep fines to a minimum while maximising compliance with traffic regulations.

The e-challan system for lane violations on Sharea Faisal came into force on June 1 under a new traffic management plan announced by Karachi Traffic Police. The plan is aimed at introducing structured lane discipline on the corridor through the use of the city’s existing surveillance camera network.

Shah had also said fines under the system have been set according to the type of vehicle involved. Under the notified structure, motorbikes and rickshaws face a fine of Rs2,500, while buses can be fined Rs7,500 for violations.