Karachi E-Challan Cameras: Turning Traffic Chaos into Road Safety

KARACHI: Teen Talwar pe rush hour pehle ek chaos ki misaal hota tha. Cars apni lane ka khayal nahi karti, ek doosre ke upar spill kar jaati, zebra crossing ki toh baat hi mat karo. Kuch drivers far-left lane se right turn lete, red light ke beech bhi nikal jaate. Motorcyclists zigzag karte, engine ki awaaz signal ke upar ghoonjti. Beech me sirf ek traffic policeman khada hota, whistle honton ke beech, arms raised, aur ek storm ko control karne ki koshish karta jo kabhi nahi sunta tha. Ek driver rukta, do nikal jaate. Ye tha Karachi ka regular weekday – loud, restless, aur hamesha hurry me, jaise har car me emergency hai.

Aaj wahi junction ka scene alag hai. Midnight ke baad bhi cars patiently white line ke peechhe rukti hain, engines quietly humming, headlights rain-dusted road pe reflect kar rahi hain. Signal malfunction ho jaaye, phir bhi wait karte hain. Na policeman ke liye, na whistle ke liye – sirf us invisible lens ke liye, jo upar fixed hai, watch kar raha hai, record kar raha hai aur fine issue kar raha hai. Ye faceless eye wahi kaam kar raha hai jo saalon ki traffic sermons nahi kar payi – Karachi ke drivers ko wait karna sikhaya.

Speed cameras ab wahi jagah khadi hain jahan city kabhi unchecked race karti thi. Shahrah-e-Faisal ki sudden calm aur Clifton Bridge ki steady pace apni story khud batati hain. E-challan ka darr woh kar raha hai jo civic sense nahi kar saka.

Par Karachi me darr zyada din nahi tikta. System start hone ke kuch hi hafton me log loopholes dhoondne lage – seatbelt stripes printed shirts pehnana, WhatsApp pe camera points warn karna, ya old cars me fake seatbelts lagana sirf show ke liye. Citizens adjust karte ja rahe hain, aur traffic policemen, jo pehle “chai-pani” settlements comfortable se lete the, ab unke pockets lighter aur authority thinner lag rahi hai.

Filhal roads calm hain. Par agar cameras blink karen, kya chaos wapas aayega?

When the whistle was law

Cameras ke pehle, Karachi ka traffic uniform wale logon se rule hota tha, machines se nahi. Warden ka whistle kaafi hota, aur pen decide karta kya hoga. Fines spot pe issue hote, kabhi genuine violation ke liye, kabhi officer ki imagination ke liye. Challenge ka option nahi, digital record nahi – ya to pay karo, ya negotiate karo. Time short aur tempers shorter wale city me, zyadatar negotiate choose karte the.

Manual system citizens ko powerless banata. Random stop, kabhi speeding ke liye, kabhi sirf authority salute na karne pe. Jo innocent tha, wo bhi kuch hundred rupees de ke nikal jaata. Connections wale ek phone call se walk away. Karachi ki roads rules se nahi, relationships se governed thi.

DSP Traffic Sindh Kashif Nadeem kehte hain, “Officers pehle khade hote, vehicles stop karte, challans issue karte. Sab unki presence pe depend karta.” Sirf 400-500 challan officers, 5,000 total staff me, aur cameras nahi – pura enforcement inpe dependent.

Ye system discretionary tha. Officer ka mood ya din ka temperature decide karta driver ka fate. Documentation kam, fines rarely repeat offenders deter karte. Officers ke liye kaam physically aur morally exhausting. Nadeem kehte, “Ye digitalisation pehle try nahi hua tha. Ab cameras se violations identify easy ho gaya, aur hum rush hours me roads clear karne pe focus kar sakte hain.”

Automation ne human bias remove kar diya. Calls from “someone important,” open window bribes, daily tug-of-war – sab khatam. Karachi ke drivers ko ab rules ke saath adjust karna padta, quietly aur invisibly.

Life under the lens

Ab Karachi ke roads strange feel dete hain. Lane markings ab decoration nahi, balki boundaries hain. Horns soft ho gaye. Evening rush bhi oddly synchronized lagta, jaise city ne cruise control discover kar liya ho.

Haroon, ek corporate employee, batate hain, “Traffic constant speed me move kar raha tha, no rash overtaking, no horns. Phir realise hua – cameras ki wajah se. People speed limits follow kar rahe hain, lanes me hain.” City jahan lane-changing Olympic sport jaisa tha, ab progress nazar aa raha.

Fear hi successful hua jahan courtesy fail ho gayi. Cameras high above ne woh kiya jo road safety campaigns nahi kar paye. Drivers slow down karte, brake near Clifton Bridge, Nursery ke pass hold breath karte. Ye self-preservation hai, traffic awareness nahi.

Hassan kehte, “First week pure fear tha. Ab log cameras ke spots jaante hain. Jab actual challans milenge, tab serious honge. System zaruri tha, Karachi ko seat straight karna tha.” Par motorbike riders? Ab bhi apni duniya me hain.

Bikers ke liye rules follow karna survival ka masla hai. “Helmet pehnna ek baat, lane me rehna impossible. Buses, parked cars block. Warna stand karte hi rahenge.”

Fouzia jaise log unexpectedly city ke moral compass ban gaye. Ek signal pe motorbike rider ne seatbelt remind kar diya. Moments jaise ye common ho rahe – fear ke saath unexpected kindness. Karachi drivers model citizens nahi bane, par at least driving ab disciplined hai – because someone is finally watching.

Fear, fines, aur frustration

E-challan system Karachiites ke liye surprise guest tha.

Adnan, ek private employee (Rs 50,000/month), ek red light violation ka challan ghar pe mila. Pehle prank samjha, appeal file ki. Committee finally agree kiya system error tha. Fine cancel hua, par relief hollow tha. “Agar 50k wale ko 25k pay karna pade, kya khayega?”

Political parties bhi enter. Jamaat-e-Islami bola – fines citizens ki financial capacity ke hisaab se honi chahiye. Goal correction hona chahiye, collection nahi.

System efficient hai, par city nahi. Old cars without seatbelts, mismatched registration data, missing plates – honest drivers ka price. Tariq Road workshop pe mechanic Asif batate, “Most models pre-2005 seatbelt nahi, log install kar rahe sirf camera se bachne ke liye, safety ke liye nahi.”

Karachi me rules avoid karna talent hai.

Karachi’s street-level ingenuity

E-challan ne discipline sikhaya, par ek naya art form bhi inspire kiya – pretending to follow rules. Seatbelt printed T-shirts, stitched bag straps, tape across chest – social media pe share. “Camera aagay hai, tape laga lo” – new “Signal red hai.”

Rules follow sirf jab lens dekhe. Blink hote hi, old habits. Par slowly restraint sikh rahe. Traffic department ke log struggle kar rahe – jo roads rule karte the, ab screens rule kar rahi. Chai-pani culture khatam, computer screens aur receipts dominate.

The men behind the monitors

TRACS Control Centre – heart of new traffic order. Hundreds of monitors live feed. Violation detect, number plate read, data Excise Dept linked, auto-challan generate, Pakistan Post deliver.

Appeal possible, 11 facilitation centres, joint committee review. Deadlines strict – 14 days pay = 50% discount, 21 days = double fine, 3 months = licence blocked, 6 months = CNIC suspended.

Karachi me 1,076 cameras operate, plan 12,000. Late October launch se 41,000+ violations. DSP Nadeem: fines vary, Sindh Assembly amend kar sakta hai, traffic department nahi.

Outside control room, officers admit – authority disrupted. Transfers freeze, lower ranks discontent. Pehle Rs150 and motorcyclists let go, ab cameras sab record. “Real money goes higher up. Hum abuses receive karte.”

Karachi traffic ab wait karna seekh gaya – patience nahi, consequence ke liye. Streets jo horns se roar karte, ab quiet hesitation me hain. Cameras order laaye, obedience nahi. Fear ab bhi civic sense ke jagah pe. Borrowed discipline bhi progress hai. E-challan system overnight change nahi karega, par har driver ab do baar sochta hai rule todne se pehle – aur ye city ke liye chhoti si revolution hai.