Although the official launch of the e-challan system is still a few days away, fraudsters have already sprung into action, sending fake SMS messages to Karachi citizens demanding payment of fines immediately.
According to Karachi Traffic Police, these messages are ‘fake, misleading and fraudulent’ and have no connection with the Karachi Traffic Police or any government institution.
In a public advisory, the Traffic Police said that in recent days, some scammers have been sending SMS messages to citizens about alleged traffic fines, falsely linked to mobile payment services like Easypaisa.
The spokesperson clarified that Karachi Traffic Police does not send SMS from personal numbers to demand the payment of fines. Citizens are urged not to trust such suspicious messages and avoid making payments through unverified links or numbers.
People have also been advised to protect their personal information and to contact the Traffic Police Helpline at 1915 in case of any confusion or suspected fraud.
Faceless e-challan to officially rollout from Oct 1
The Karachi Traffic Police, in collaboration with Lok Suhayta, have launched a comprehensive awareness campaign on road safety and faceless e-challan.
The faceless e-challan system will officially become operational from October 1. Under this system, traffic violations will be recorded through advanced cameras, and challans—backed by evidence—will be sent directly to citizens’ homes, without the invovlement of any third party.
According to the Traffic Police spokesperson, the purpose of this campaign is to provide citizens with complete awareness about the importance of traffic laws and the new, automated challan (ticketing) system.
Through this modern system, traffic laws will be automatically monitored via advanced CCTV cameras installed across the city. In case of a violation, a challan will be issued with photographic or video evidence.
Citizens will experience a transparent, fair, and effective law enforcement process. During the awareness campaign, pamphlets are being distributed at various key locations across the city, especially at the traffic signals.
The spokesperson stated: “On your journey, Karachi Traffic Police are your companion.”
Volunteers, lady constables, and students from educational institutions are working alongside traffic police to educate citizens. The importance of traffic law compliance, road safety, and transparency in the system is being highlighted. This initiative is described as a revolutionary step towards making Karachi a safer, more organised, and law-abiding city.
