Patiala traffic police turns blind eye to VIPs , own staff for using black films, hooters, blinkers
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ September 16,2023
Patiala police is known for its competence. The district police are doing a yeoman job in controlling crime, crack difficult cases in a record time. The district police are known for its tough stand against crime, criminals. But, the same district police seem going soft towards VIPs who are violating the rules.
Patiala traffic police is issuing challans on daily basis, collecting fines and earning crores of rupees as challan money from the traffic violators. But the same traffic police turns blind eye towards influential, VIP violators.
This can be gauged from the fact that many of the four wheelers have black films, blinkers (multi coloured light), hooters , flag bars installed in their vehicles. Even many officers, police officials, influential persons are using black films, blinkers (multi coloured light) , hooters in their private, official vehicles.
When contacted DSP traffic, Patiala Karambir Singh, he said ” we are already on the job and had removed many black films, blinkers installed illegally. We are challaning vehicles for violating the rules , two wheelers-four wheelers running without proper number plates, vehicles for over speeding, removing silencers of Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle for making silencer ‘blasts’ by rigging the exhaust — what is informally termed the ‘patakha’ sound. “
Singh said the same statement that he had said on April 21,2023 that the “SSP Patiala has clearly instructed us to not to spare anybody –VIP, police personnel, their wards, influential persons who are found violating traffic rules, using blinkers, black films or of any kind.”
As per Supreme Court orders, use of films or any other material upon the windscreen or the side windows is impermissible in law. But, Patialavies , openly flout norms barring the use of black film, curtains , sunscreens , shades on vehicles. All these are illegal as anything that obstructs visibility is deemed illegal.
Baljinder Singh, a local resident said “it seems the residents of royal city Patiala feels proud in violating the rules as they belong to a VIP city and traffic police remains a mute spectator. They openly use the hooters (used to get quicker passage) not only in on the highways but also on the city roads. Even the police officials use a multi coloured light atop on their personal vehicles. All these goes unchecked, right under the nose of Patiala traffic police”.
Sumit , another resident said “though the district administration issues orders against the use of black films and lights atop vehicles “without the permission from the Additional DGP (Traffic)” but it seems that all go in vein as Patialavies, VIPs, officers, their wards feel proud to disobey the government orders as traffic policemen are unable to challan VIP vehicles as it invites the wrath of their seniors.
What Supreme Court Says:
As per Supreme Court’s April 27, 2012, order, passed by a 3-Judge bench of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice A.K. Patnaik, and Justice Swatanter Kumar) in the case of Avishek Goenka v. Union of India (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 265 of 2011) banned the use of black films on the car windows / windscreens . The limits of 30% and 50% on the front/rear windscreens and side windows, respectively, are in fact the maximum permissible limits for the tinted glass that comes with the car when you buy it from the manufacturer. In so far as the black films (of any shades, grey or fully black) are concerned, they are completely banned irrespective of the percentage of visual light transmission (VLT) blocked or allowed by them.
Another important fact is that it is also not permissible to use “any other material” (such as curtains, for example) on the car windows, etc. Thus, it would not be possible to cover the car windows by any other material also, and the ban is not just for the black films.
Patiala traffic police turns blind eye to VIPs using use black films, hooters
