KARACHI: A five-star hotel in Karachi has been issued an e-challan of Rs10,000 for a vehicle that was stolen nearly three decades ago, leaving the management bewildered.
The hotel revealed that the car was stolen from a parking area near Sharea Faisal in May 1997, and a case was duly registered with Saddar Police Station at the time. Despite the vehicle never being recovered, authorities recently sent an e-challan citing a seatbelt violation recorded at the Hub Toll Plaza.
The automated Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), launched on October 27, replaced manual ticketing with an AI-integrated CCTV system designed to detect traffic violations such as over-speeding, red light jumping, and helmet non-compliance. However, since its launch, the system has faced criticism over errors and a lack of infrastructure in Karachi to fully support automated enforcement.
The hotel management expressed willingness to pay the fine, but only if the authorities first recover and return the stolen vehicle.
This incident is not isolated. Last month, a bike owner received an e-challan worth Rs5,000 for not wearing a helmet, four years after his bike was stolen from Tipu Sultan police premises. Another citizen reported receiving an e-challan with mismatched number plates in the photo and text, highlighting flaws in the automated system.
These cases have raised questions about TRACS’ reliability and its implementation in the city, calling for stricter verification measures before issuing e-challans.
