Bus Owners Challenge Karachi’s New E-Challan System in Court

The bus owners’ association has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against Karachi’s newly introduced E-Challan system. The petition argues that the Sindh government’s notification for the system is unlawful. The lawyer representing the bus owners said the government failed to meet legal requirements before launching the system. He added that the decision was made without considering the city’s poor road conditions and unclear traffic signs.

According to the petition, the fines imposed under the E-Challan system are unfair and excessive. The petitioners claimed that a fine of Rs. 100,000 on commercial buses would destroy the transport business. They said the new system might be good for monitoring, but the heavy fines are unbearable for bus operators. The petitioners urged the court to review the fines and make them reasonable for public transport owners.

The bus owners further argued that only a magistrate has the authority to decide punishments for traffic violations. They referred to the Motor Vehicle Act 2025, which gives this power solely to the courts. The petition stated that the Sindh government has not yet set up traffic courts, making the imposed fines illegal. The bus owners claimed the administration cannot impose penalties without proper legal authority.

In their complaint, the petitioners also pointed out the lack of designated bus stops in Karachi. They said drivers often receive fines while stopping to pick up or drop off passengers. Without proper infrastructure, they argued, it is unfair to punish drivers for following their routine routes. The petitioners urged the court to suspend the fines until clear bus stop points are established.

The Sindh government recently introduced the E-Challan system to improve traffic management and enforce road safety rules. Supporters praised the move as a step toward modern traffic control. However, many citizens and transporters criticized the high fines as excessive and impractical. The Sindh High Court will now review the petition and decide whether the E-Challan system should continue under its current form.

READ MORE : Karachi’s New E-Challan System Fines Millions in Hours

The newly launched E-challan system for traffic violations in Karachi recorded fines exceeding Rs12.5 million within six hours of its launch. According to the Karachi Traffic Police, the system issued 2,662 tickets during its initial hours of operation. Officials said the system aims to make traffic enforcement faster, more transparent, and more efficient across the city.

The data shows a wide range of violations detected by the new system. These include 419 cases of overspeeding and 1,535 cases of not wearing seatbelts. There were also 507 tickets for riding without helmets and 166 for running red signals. In addition, minor violations such as tinted windows, wrong-way driving, and mobile phone use while driving were also recorded.