Patiala traffic police turns blind eye to VIPs using use black films, hooters
Kanwar Inder Singh/ April 21,2023
Despite the challaning of four wheelers for using black films, for over speeding etc and earning around crore of rupees as challan money (as claimed by the DSP, Traffic) Patiala police still fails to curb the use of black films by VIPs, officers of royal city Patiala.
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.
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. The school buses use the curtains. These all goes unchecked, right under the nose of Patiala traffic police.
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.
When contacted the superintendent of police (SP), traffic Patiala Rakesh Kumar, he said” I’m on leave and out of station.”
“We have done an extensive challaning of vehicles for violating the rules , two wheelers-four wheelers running without number plates, four wheelers having black films, vehicles for over speeding, impounded Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle for making silencer ‘blasts’ by rigging the exhaust — what is informally termed the ‘patakha’ sound and collected around crore of rupees as fine money in the last fiscal year” said deputy superintendent of police , traffic, Patiala, Karambir Singh.
Patiala traffic police turns blind eye to VIPs using use black films, hooters on this DSP traffic added that “we are regularly issuing challans, removing black films from the four wheelers. We are regularly lay naka’s on city’s main markets. Our duty is to clear the roads for smooth running of traffic and to curb the traffic violation done by the offenders.”
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.
(royalpatiala.in News)
