Officials violating traffic rules told to pay e-challans from their own pockets

KARACHI: The Sindh government, concerned over e-challans being issued to government officials of various departments over violations of traffic rules, has directed that these officials should pay the fines from their own pockets.

Officials said on Saturday that since the launch of the e-challan system in Karachi, several violations have been committed by government officials plying government vehicles and the e-challans are being received at government offices.

In this regard, the government issued an order on Saturday directing the government officials to pay the challan amounts for the violations that they had committed from their own pocket.

The letter was also moved to the senior members, Board of Revenue (Sindh) (including all members), the chairman, Enquiries & Anti-Corruption Establishment Sindh, Karachi, the chairman, Planning & Development Board Sindh, Karachi, the chairman, Chief Minister’s Inspection Team, Karachi, the chairman of the Sindh Public Service Commission, Karachi, the chairman of the Sindh Service Tribunal, Karachi, the administrative secretaries, and the commissioners across Sindh.

The letter moved to the above departments reads, “I am directed to refer to the subject noted above and to state that several traffic e-challans have been received in this department from the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), Sindh Police under Section-116-A of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965. These e-challans have been issued on account of violation of traffic rules and include various charges such as seatbelt unfastened, tinted glasses, jumping red light, using cell phone while driving.

“In this regard, the competent authority has accorded permission to issue policy direction to all administrative departments that all officers and officials using allotted government vehicles shall pay e-challans from their own pockets. Therefore, all administrative departments and commissioner offices are requested to ensure strict compliance of the above policy directive.”