Our Correspondent
KARACHI: The Karachi Traffic Police organized an awareness event on its newly introduced Traffic Regulation and Citation System, titled “An Hour with Traffic Police Karachi,” IGP Sindh Javed Alam Odho, attended the event as the chief guest while prominent figures from the business community and police officers were also attended.
DIG (Traffic Karachi) Pir Muhammad Shah Addressing the gathering, he highlighted the challenges faced in implementing digital enforcement and controlling traffic accidents in a megacity like Karachi. He noted that monitoring approximately seven million vehicles through conventional methods was no longer feasible. “The city had been witnessing around 90 fatal accidents monthly, averaging three per day” he said, adding that the existing force of 5,000 traffic personnel was insufficient for effective policing through traditional means.
To address these challenges, the department adopted electronic surveillance. After reviewing traffic management systems in various countries, the TRACS project was proposed and subsequently approved by the government. Currently, over 1,000 fixed cameras have been installed on major roads, with more than 2,000 additional cameras planned for installation. The DIGP further revealed that more than 20,000 heavy vehicles in the city have been equipped with tracking systems. First time TRACS drones and robocars have also been introduced to facilitate faceless ticketing in densely populated areas. However, he acknowledged emerging challenges, including tampering with vehicle number plates to evade detection, for which a targeted crackdown campaign has been launched.
Speaking on the occasion, IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho thanked the business community and other stakeholders for their support. He emphasized that leadership involves setting direction and steering the department towards modernization. He also acknowledged the contributions of former IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon in laying the groundwork for the E-challan system. Prior to implementation, relevant data was integrated from the Excise Department and driving licence branches to ensure system efficiency. “The success of the faceless challan system is largely due to the efforts of DIG Pir Muhammad Shah and Sindh Police IT department” he said, adding that the initiative has promoted accountability and yielded positive results.
He further stated that Sindh Police is moving towards modern policing practices in line with international standards. Plans are underway to expand the CCTV-based surveillance network across the city, which has already contributed to a 30 to 40 percent reduction in crime. IGP Sindh announced that the TRACS system, equipped with advanced high-tech cameras will be launched in Hyderabad next week.
Leave a Reply