Glitches Plague Sindh Police’s New Digital Ticketing System Post-Launch
KARACHI – A significant error in the newly launched digital e-challan system has caused distress to a Karachi resident who received a fine for a motorcycle that was reported stolen four years ago.
The citizen was baffled to receive an electronic ticket on October 27, imposing a Rs5,000 fine for not wearing a helmet. The irony is compounded by the fact that the motorcycle had been stolen from the precincts of the Tipu Sultan police station and remains unrecovered, despite the owner having filed a formal theft complaint.
Digital System Faces Scrutiny
This case is not an isolated incident; the Sindh traffic police’s electronic ticketing initiative is already facing public criticism over serious technical flaws.
Earlier, another affected citizen reported receiving an e-challan despite having committed no traffic violation. The individual pointed out a glaring mistake where the number plate visible in the photographic evidence did not match the number written in the challan’s text, suggesting a fundamental system error.
Rollout of E-Ticketing
The errors emerge as the Sindh traffic police fully transition to the digital system. In a meeting chaired by Inspector General (IG) Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, Traffic police representative Peer Muhammad Shah confirmed that the paper ticketing system has been entirely replaced by the digitized e-ticketing facility, which was formally implemented on October 27.
The department is moving ahead with its digital rollout, reporting that it has issued over 17,000 e-challans since the system became active on October 28. The meeting also highlighted the essential role of establishing the Karachi Traffic Management Board to oversee road safety measures in the city.
