E-Challan Defaulters: Punjab Police Plans 50 Smart Vans in 2026

Punjab Police plans to catch e-challan defaulters with 50 new smart vans, in a move that will bring automated traffic enforcement to roads and public places across the province. The vehicles, called Police Eye smart vans, will use 360-degree cameras to spot vehicles with unpaid fines and people wanted by police. The plan was reported on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, after the department resubmitted its purchase proposal to the Punjab government. The proposal asks for more than Rs500 million for the project. The purchase still needs approval before any van is bought.

The vans are meant to solve a problem that has grown for years. Cameras already issue e-challans across Punjab, but many fines stay unpaid. E-challan defaulters often face no action until they are stopped at a checkpoint. In Lahore, traffic police have now started court proceedings against drivers who ignore payment notices for 10 days. The fine can double after that period, and cases can go to court. Reports say the combined number of pending digital challans and seized documents in Lahore has reached about 800,000. The new vans would take enforcement from fixed cameras to the road itself.

How the Police Eye Vans Will Catch e-challan defaulters

Each Police Eye smart van will carry an advanced 360-degree camera. The camera can identify vehicles with unpaid traffic fines and wanted criminals on roads and in public places. Its range is 100 metres, and it keeps updating information about vehicles and people inside its coverage area. The camera system can spot e-challan defaulters among passing vehicles and flag them at once. When the system spots a defaulter vehicle or a wanted person, it generates an immediate alert. The vans will be linked to the Punjab Safe Cities Authority system, so the alert reaches police at once.

The vans will also be able to spot overloaded vehicles and issue alerts with a single click. They will be deployed on main highways and in public places to catch e-challan defaulters where they drive. Once the Chief Minister approves the project, each district will receive one to three vans for monitoring. The vans will also watch model roads, where traffic rules are enforced more strictly. To save fuel costs, the department plans to buy electric vehicles for the project. The vehicles will be prepared under the supervision of Additional Inspector General Logistics Fawaduddin Qureshi.

e-challan defaulters: Cost, Approval and Timeline

The money side of the plan to catch e-challan defaulters is now clear. Punjab Police has sought more than Rs500 million from the provincial government for the purchase. Each fully equipped smart van is expected to cost about Rs11 million, including its surveillance equipment and other accessories. The purchase proposal has been resubmitted to the Punjab government after the Home Department raised objections and the department addressed them. The purchase still needs government approval, so no date for deployment has been announced yet.

The proposal is still only a proposal, and that matters. Until the Chief Minister approves it, no van will be bought and no district will get one. Officials say further details about procurement, funding and deployment will come after the provincial government reviews the proposal. For now, drivers should treat the plan as a warning. The system to catch e-challan defaulters is getting stronger, and the old habit of ignoring a challan is becoming riskier.

The Punjab Safe Cities Authority already runs a large camera network. Its cameras record traffic violations and issue e-challans to the vehicle owner. This month, the authority issued 11,752 e-challans for overloading violations across Punjab, using AI-powered cameras and virtual traffic management. The smart vans would add mobile eyes to that fixed network, so e-challan defaulters cannot stay hidden by avoiding camera routes. A van can reach places where no fixed camera is installed, and it can act on the spot when it finds a vehicle with unpaid fines.

How to Check Your E-Challan Before the Vans Find You

Any driver can check whether they are among the e-challan defaulters in minutes, and it is free. Open the official portal echallan.psca.gop.pk and enter your vehicle registration number with the owner CNIC or the chassis number. Every pending challan appears with the violation, the place, the time, the photo and the amount. You can also use the PSCA Public Safety app, which has a Search Challan option. Do not tap links in SMS or WhatsApp messages. Type the portal address yourself.

To pay, use the challan PSID, a 17-digit payment slip number. Pay through the ePay Punjab app, JazzCash, Easypaisa, your bank app, a 1Link ATM, or over a bank counter. The PSID expires in about 24 hours, so pay promptly and save the receipt until the portal shows the challan as paid. Paying clears the fine and removes the vehicle from the list of e-challan defaulters. No officer in Punjab may take a fine on the spot, and a manual ticket from a warden should be paid within 10 days. Official PSCA messages come from 9915, with no payment links.

If a challan looks wrong, you can ask for a review. Create an account on the same portal, open the Review section, select the disputed challan and submit evidence. After investigation, Safe City can cancel a proven-wrong challan within 24 hours. A wrong challan should be challenged quickly, because an unpaid challan can put the vehicle owner among e-challan defaulters. Fines were revised on 1 December 2025, and the amount depends on the violation, the vehicle type and whether it is a repeat offence. A signal violation, for example, costs Rs5,000 for a car and Rs2,000 for a motorcycle.

The Police Eye vans, if approved, will change how Punjab enforces traffic fines. Fixed cameras already record violations, and the vans will bring that same system to highways and public places. For drivers, the message is simple. Check your challan, pay it on time, and do not wait for a van to find you. E-challan defaulters who clear their fines now will have nothing to worry about when the vans start rolling.

What is an e-challan?

An e-challan is a digital traffic fine. Cameras read your number plate and record the violation, and the fine is issued against the registered vehicle, not the driver.

How will the Police Eye vans catch e-challan defaulters?

Each van carries a 360-degree camera with a 100-metre range, linked to the Safe Cities Authority system. When it spots a vehicle with unpaid fines or a wanted person, it generates an immediate alert.

How much will each smart van cost?

Each fully equipped van is expected to cost about Rs11 million, including surveillance equipment and accessories. The total project seeks more than Rs500 million for 50 vans.

When will the smart vans start working?

The purchase still needs approval from the Punjab government and the Chief Minister. No date for deployment has been announced yet.

How can I check if I have an unpaid e-challan?

Visit echallan.psca.gop.pk and enter your vehicle number with the owner CNIC or chassis number. You can also use the PSCA Public Safety app. Pay through the PSID in ePay Punjab, JazzCash, Easypaisa, your bank app, or a 1Link ATM.