E-challan: Traffic top cop says citizens using fake number plates should be sent to jail

• Traffic accidents dropped by 50% after e-challan system: DIG.
• Adds Motorists started using counterfeit plates to avoid fines.
• Large-scale campaign against illegal number plates from Dec 19.
  

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic Police Pir Muhammad Shah said that tampering with vehicle number plates is a criminal act, emphasising that such people should be sent to jail.

Speaking on Geo News programme "Geo Pakistan," DIG Shah said that the use of fake or tampered vehicle number plates has increased since the introduction of the e-challan system. He said that many motorists have started using counterfeit or concealed number plates to avoid traffic fines.

The Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS) was launched on October 27, aimed at replacing the outdated manual ticketing process with a fully automated e-ticketing mechanism, utilising advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as over-speeding, red light jumping, and helmet non-compliance.

But since its inauguration, the news system has sparked debate with critics pointing to the lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure in Karachi to support its implementation.

The DIG warned that vehicles with fake number plates or plates with hidden numbers will be fined, adding that such acts are criminal offences. He also shared the impact of the e-challan system in Karachi, saying that traffic accidents have decreased by 50% since its implementation.

DIG Shah said that accidents occur all over the world, and it is unrealistic to expect that accidents will completely stop due to any system.

He reiterated that while the e-challan system has significantly improved traffic discipline and safety, strict action is necessary against those violating the law by using fake number plates.

Large-scale campaign against illegal number plates 

A day earlier, Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Javed Alam Odho said that a large-scale campaign against illegal number plates would begin on December 19. 

He said that vehicles with such number plates would be seized as part of the crackdown. Odho said that such a campaign was necessary to address these violations, adding that the campaign has been launched in collaboration with the Excise Department.

He further said that the excise staff will be deployed on major arteries, where vehicles with illegal number plates will be stopped, and a case will also be registered.