Punjab has formally launched an evidence-based traffic challan system province-wide, requiring every traffic violation ticket issued across Punjab, including Lahore, to be accompanied by a photograph and video recording captured at the scene and saved as permanent proof alongside the challan record.
DIG Traffic Waqas Nazir announced that all traffic challans issued will now be backed by complete documentary evidence, with the Traffic Police One app used by traffic police across the province to issue challans and record the associated visual evidence simultaneously at the point of the violation. The system has been implemented on the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister, with officials describing the change as a step toward making traffic enforcement fairer, more transparent, and more resistant to disputes between citizens and traffic police, which have historically been a source of friction particularly where a citizen contests whether a violation actually occurred.
Citizens who receive a challan will be notified via an SMS alert from the short code 8070, with the message containing a direct link to the photographic and video evidence of their specific violation. Opening the link gives the citizen full access to proof of the infraction, eliminating the information asymmetry that previously left many recipients of challans with no documentation of what had been recorded against them. Officials said the new process will save time for both citizens and traffic police and will also support more effective legal action against persistent defaulters, since every unpaid challan will now carry attached visual evidence that can be used in enforcement proceedings rather than relying solely on an officer’s verbal account of the violation.
The launch builds directly on Punjab’s earlier enforcement action against habitual e-challan defaulters, which saw 100 vehicles with the highest outstanding dues blacklisted through the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s surveillance network. With evidence now embedded into every new challan from the point of issuance, the system creates a more complete and legally defensible record of traffic violations across Punjab, strengthening the province’s capacity to pursue compliance from those who habitually ignore traffic fines and continue to accumulate penalties without consequence.
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