E-challans come into force for lane violations on Karachi's Sharea Faisal

KARACHI: The Karachi Traffic Police have announced that an e-challan system for lane violations on Sharea Faisal will take effect from June 1 (today) under the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS).

In a statement, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic Pir Mohammed Shah said that under the notified lane management plan, commercial vehicles and motorcycles are required to use the two leftmost lanes, which have been reserved for their movement.

He said fast-moving private vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and double-cabin vehicles, are not permitted to use the leftmost and second-left lanes, as these remain reserved for commercial and slow-moving traffic.

Shah further said that the fast lane and the second lane from the right are designated exclusively for fast-moving private vehicles.

He added that Sharea Faisal operates as a three-lane carriageway in some stretches and a four-lane carriageway in others, stating that in three-lane sections, the middle lane may be used interchangeably by both commercial and fast-moving private vehicles, as per traffic flow requirements.

The DIG said that from Monday, all lane violations will be processed through the TRACS-based automated faceless e-ticketing system, with “no manual discretion involved”.

“All road users are advised to strictly adhere to the lane regulations to ensure safe, orderly, and efficient traffic flow on Sharea Faisal,” he said.

Last year in October, the traffic police had 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.