Karachi introduces drones for e-challans, expanding traffic surveillance

Traffic authorities in Karachi began using drones to expand automated traffic enforcement on Thursday.

"For the first time in Pakistan's history, drone-assisted e-challans have been launched," said DIG Traffic Karachi Peer Muhammad Shah. Rawalpindi has also deployed drones to monitor traffic violations, but unlike Karachi’s initial focus on parking enforcement, Rawalpindi’s drones are being used to monitor broader road rule breaches, from helmet use to seatbelts and mobile phone use while driving, across heavily trafficked areas.

Read: Rawalpindi deploys drones to monitor traffic violations

The Karachi Traffic Police have integrated drones into their E‑challan system, flying unmanned aerial vehicles over key routes including Saddar’s Mobile Market and Abdullah Haroon Road to identify parking violations and other offences in real time, according to DIG Shah.

"We have put no-parking, no double-parking boards up in Saddar," he said. "In those areas, we are implementing drone surveillance, and any violating cars will be ticketed".

He added that they plan to increase this drone surveillance to cover Tariq road, Rashid Minhas road, and the outsides of large departmental stores.

"Before we would tow violators' vehicles, but this would be a large inconvenience to people with the give and take and then accusations levied against the police," he added. "To be free of those problems, we've made the process faceless, now a ticket will come to people's houses and their cars will not be towed".

"Heavy fines have already been imposed on two vehicles for illegal parking", he said. "Faceless e-tickets were issued for both vehicles on Saddar Zainab Market Street. Both car owners have been issued e-challans of 10,000 each during peak times in the evening".

DIG Shah said that motorists who pay fines within 14 days will receive a 50% discount, and penalties will double if left unpaid after December 29.

Officials said a dedicated drone surveillance team will patrol designated corridors to catch deliberate violations, with the aim of easing congestion and improving road safety.

"We will also get robo-cars, the training for those is underway and in 10-12 days they should be on the road as well: their only job will be to fix problems related to parking," he added.