Karachi’s new AI traffic system issues 2,662 e-challans worth Rs12.5 million in 6 hours

Dubai: Karachi’s drivers woke up to a new reality on Tuesday — an era of faceless traffic enforcement powered by artificial intelligence.

Within just six hours of launch, the city’s new e-challan system issued 2,662 digital tickets worth more than Rs12.5 million, signalling the end of leniency on the roads, Geo News reported.

According to the Karachi Traffic Police, the crackdown was swift and data-driven: 419 challans were issued for over-speeding, 1,535 for not wearing seat belts, and 507 for riding without helmets.

The system also flagged 166 red-light violations, along with smaller infractions — from tinted windows and mobile-phone use to wrong-way driving and illegal parking.

From manual to machine

The transformation follows the rollout of the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), inaugurated a day earlier by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the Central Police Office.

The chief minister hailed the project as a milestone in digital governance and road transparency, replacing the city’s old, manual ticketing system with an AI-integrated, camera-based network.

TRACS at a glance

• 2,662 e-challans issued in first six hours of launch

• Rs12.5 million collected in fines within a single day

• 419 challans for overspeeding

• 1,535 for not wearing seat belts

• 507 for riding without helmets

• 166 red-light violations

• Other offences: mobile use while driving, tinted windows, wrong-way driving, illegal parking

The new system

• Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS) replaces manual challans

• Uses AI-integrated CCTV cameras for real-time detection

• Linked with Excise & Taxation, NADRA e-Sahulat, and driving licence databases

• Fines can be viewed and paid online or via the TRACS mobile app

• TRACS Sahulat Centres set up at traffic offices for assistance

• 200 cameras active in pilot phase; 12,000 planned citywide

• Oversight by Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) for transparency

“This system removes human discretion, confrontation and potential bias, ensuring fairness and accountability on the roads,” Shah said.

A smarter, fairer system

The TRACS platform links directly with key provincial databases — Excise and Taxation, Driving Licence, NADRA e-Sahulat — allowing violators to view, pay, or contest tickets online or via mobile. The TRACS app lets citizens track real-time challans, view CCTV evidence, and pay fines through secure payment gateways.

Dedicated TRACS Sahulat Centres have been set up at major traffic offices and police stations to help citizens clarify violations or appeal penalties.

First phase of a citywide net

In its pilot phase, 200 AI-enabled cameras have been installed at strategic intersections across Karachi.

The network will expand to 12,000 cameras citywide, before extending to other Sindh districts. Oversight will be provided by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, ensuring transparency and public accountability.

Officials said the early response was “encouraging,” noting that the system instantly detected violations previously missed under the manual regime.

For Karachi’s 25-million residents, the digital shift could mark the beginning of safer, more orderly roads — and fewer arguments at traffic stops.