E-challan system yet to bring order on Karachi’s roads

The traffic police had in October 2025 launched their faceless e-ticketing system on some of the major corridors in the metropolis. Officials claim that the total number of e-challans increased every month from January to March, before declining in April — 128,990 in January, 156,099 in February, 164,033 in March, and 144,437 in April. However, which road you are taking, whether the traffic signals are functioning, and whether traffic wardens are present, are some factors that determine traffic conditions in the city. It is up to individuals to decide which road to take and which rules to follow in areas where cameras are not installed. Travelling along various main arteries of District East, Central, and South — including Shahrah-i-Noor Jahan to Soldier Bazaar, and Sharea Faisal to Saddar — Dawn has observed that motorists and bikers tend to be more cautious on roads where cameras are installed or traffic signals are functioning. This is particularly evident on Sharea Faisal, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Boat Basin, and the PIDC signal. However, at various points where e-challan system has been implemented but traffic signals were non-functional, police officials were manually managing the flow of vehicles. The situation appeared more chaotic, especially at the Arts Council Chowk and its adjoining arteries, where both cameras and signals seemed to be out of order. A chaotic traffic situation was witnessed as vehicles from multiple directions converged at the intersection. Likewise, on the road leading from