Traffic police at intersections and common people on roads will not have to go through blaring sirens and flashing beacons created headache now onwards.
In yet another move towards bridging gap between common people and so called ‘class’ collars, the State government has withdrawn all previous orders of allowing red and blue beacons to certain officials and individuals from immediate effect.
In a notification released on Friday, the government has said that no vehicle, except that of fire brigade, PCR vans/pilot vehicles and ambulances with defined colours will be allowed to roam in the State, that also on duty only.
“No other vehicle, except fire brigade in blue beacon with flasher, PCR vans/pilot vehicles with multi-colour beacon (blue, white and red) and ambulances with blinker added red beacon in violet glass while on duty will be allowed on roads from immediate effect. All previous orders permitting beacons to any of the officials stand withdrawn,” said a notification dated April 20 and released on Friday by the order of the Governor.
Notably, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday last decided to remove beacon lights from all vehicles, exempting emergency services from the order. The order came in purview of a Supreme Court order of December 2013, which had restricted use of red beacons and had asked the Centre to amend the Motor Vehicles Act accordingly. The Union Transport Ministry has given time up to end of this month to remove beacons from vehicles across the country.
However, states like Jharkhand suffer less from lal-Batti culture than that of labels and stickers on or around the number plate indicating designation of vehicle possessor, which has also not been permitted in Central Motor Vehicle Act. This trend has remained in fashion for such a long time only to surpass traffic laws and to influence traffic police that even political parties whose workers have remained ahead of anyone else while using such tactics appeared concerned on Wednesday.
“It is indeed a serious issue. There are people who have misused it. Though we have not issued any guideline because we believe BJP workers are one of the most civilized and law abiding workers, we will issue a guideline for the same asking to remove such name plates soon if we come across one now onwards,” said BJP spokesperson Shivpoojan Pathak.
The transport department in a number of cases clarified that there are no such provisions allowing stickers or labels on or around their number plates. “It is more a show off issue. However, we will soon start a drive against these people who use such name plates only to influence traffic personnel or avoid parking charges like things,” said Traffic SP Sanjay Ranjan Singh on Friday.