A petition has been filed in the Sindh High Court challenging an electronic traffic challan issued to a public transport bus in Karachi and raising concerns about the accuracy of the city’s e-challan enforcement system.
The petition was submitted by Farooq Ahmed, president of the Bus Owners Association, through his legal counsel. Respondents named in the case include the Secretary of Transport, the Regional Transport Authority, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic, and other relevant officials.
According to the petitioner, the bus in question is equipped with a speed limiter installed by the manufacturer that restricts its maximum speed to 120 kilometres per hour, making it technically impossible for the vehicle to exceed that limit.
However, a camera operating under Karachi’s electronic traffic enforcement system allegedly recorded the bus travelling at 160 kilometres per hour, leading to the issuance of a traffic challan.
The petition argues that the discrepancy raises serious concerns about the reliability and accuracy of the cameras and the vehicle speed monitoring system used under the e-challan framework.
The petitioner has requested the court to order a comprehensive technical audit of the cameras and speed monitoring system by independent experts. The petition also asks the court to cancel heavy fines issued through the system and take action against those responsible if any faults are discovered.
Additionally, the petitioner urged the court to suspend the e-challan system until a final decision is reached in the case.
A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court, headed by Justice Adnan Iqbal Memon, has issued notices to the respondents and adjourned the hearing until April 6.
