The much-anticipated E-Challan System is finally operational in Lahore, starting from Monday 24 September 2018 (today) in the city after undergoing a successful trial run.
The electronic system records any traffic-related offense and produces a challan with all the necessary details including the pictures of the violation – place and number plate – taken through the CCTV cameras installed throughout the city. The challan is then sent to the offender through a courier service. For maximum convenience of the motorists, these challans will feature a suitable deadline for payment of fines.
The system was being tested since last year and was being slowly rolled out across the city.
The system has been developed by the joint efforts of the Punjab Police and Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA).
The database will store all the previous records related to the offender. If a person is found violating the traffic rules, again and again, the Punjab Police will be authorized to lock down their vehicle until the payment of due challans. The challan would be posted to the address of the vehicle’s owner and the failure to pay the outstanding challans can result in confiscation of the vehicle under the Provincial Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965.
E-Challan Helpline to Remain Open 24/7
The police helpline 15 is open 24/7 for any queries related to the system.
It is about time a proper and automated system for fining those found violating traffic rules was introduced in a Pakistani city. It is hoped that this system is replicated across other cities, and ensure that more law enforcement personnel are rid of mundane paperwork and become efficient in discharging their responsibilities. The efficiency of the system is yet to be tested, however, the initial results from the trial run sound promising.
There are some lingering concerns, however. One major issue that this electronic system can potentially face in its initial days is to ensure that the delivery of e-challan is made to the right person. Considering the lackadaisical state of affairs, and a confusing naming convention for street/house numbers in Pakistani cities, this may often lead to delays, if not altogether disarray, for the delivery process and in verifying vehicle ownership.
