PSCA introduces online payment for e-challans

In yet another bid to streamline its online challan system, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority Lahore (PSCA) has decided to launch an online payment system.

This will be initiated in collaboration with the Punjab Finance Department.

A spokesperson for the PSCA shared that the decision was taken given the concerns of coronavirus, convenience and for time-saving of the citizens. He claimed that the citizens will no longer have to line up at banks.

In the case of e-challan, citizens will be able to pay through Punjab e-pay app online from their phone. In this regard, online payment matters have been settled with the Finance Department which will be implemented soon.

The PSCA spokesperson said citizens can make electronic payments through ATM Easy Paisa, Jazz Cash, and online banking by using Punjab e-pay app. The constraints of manual payment are being removed by taking advantage of modern technology. Citizens can also pay e-challan from any bank and anywhere.

Electronic e-payment will facilitate citizens to pay their e-challan easily. According to a spokesperson, an electronic payment will also facilitate real-time information.

It is worth noting that this is not the first initiatives by PSCA to streamline their e-challanning system. Many botched attempts have earlier been made also.

They before the launch of the authority had made many tall claims about the system.

Initially, it was projected to be a centralised, well-coordinated system. According to the plan, the maximum human resource was to be replaced by technology. Digital Vehicle Registration System was to be introduced using which the PSCA special cameras would just capture the violating vehicle.

These cameras were to be directly linked to PSCA’s database. Just after the click, all the details of the vehicle and the owner were to be processed and the tickets were automatically issued.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2020.