The Lahore High Court has announced the reserved decision on a petition challenging the Punjab Safe City Authority’s (PSCA) authority to issue e-challans to violators of traffic laws. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh of Lahore High Court declared the e-challan illegal. The court added that the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s e-challans were illegal in Lahore.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheik’s statement:
Justice Tariq Saleem has delivered the eight-page written verdict that had reserved previously. According to the ruling, e-challans had not collected before the Constitutional revisions. Since authorities had not allowed to ticket e-challans under the Provincial Vehicles Ordinance 1965. Added more, however, that traffic rule violators would be issue a challan at the moment. The officials would not be able to issue fines electronically in the form of e-challans.
What is E-Chalan System:
The E-Chalan system has introduced by the government in order to ensure that individuals follow traffic laws. This technology has made it easier to track persons who break traffic laws by recording their number plate information. According to this system, traffic offenses such as exceeding the speed limit, not using a seatbelt, and driving in the wrong direction have recorded by CCTV cameras on Lahore’s roadways. Then, the Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) takes the number plates of these vehicles and delivers an E-Challan to the vehicle owner’s address.
However, citizens have complaints about E-Challans, like e-challan being sent to the wrong address and to the wrong owner. That’s why the citizens petitioned the court. The petitioners’ counsel argued that e-challans have issued illegally and that the Safe City Authority had no legal authority to issue challans through cameras.
It is expected that PSCA will appeal against the decision. Because it is a great effort that saves both traffic police and citizens time and effort. What do you say about the Lahore Hight Court decision, is it right decision or not?
