Cops net Rs 1.5 crore in drive against tinted car windows

The traffic police department’s crackdown on tinted films on glasses of four wheelers earned them a fine amount of more than Rs1.51 crore from over a lakh of motorists in 2013. Beginning this year, they propose  to intensify the drive. 

The police started the drive following a Supreme Court (SC) order. They had, however, initially requested  the motorists to peel off the tinted films. When this did not have any effect on motorists, the police  started the drive.   

Starting from January 2013, the traffic police intercepted more than 20,000 motorists almost every  month, collecting a fine between Rs18 lakh to Rs22 lakh from them.    

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Pratap Dighavkar said, “We carried out an extensive drive on  several days every month. Since it’s an SC order not to have dark films on your vehicle glasses, disregarding  it is contempt of the court. We have started impounding licences of the motorists and return it to them only  after the dark films have been removed. Each motorist with tinted films on glasses is fined Rs100.”   

The erring motorists are booked and fined under the relevant section of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.

The SC banned the use of tinted films of any shade beyond permissible limits (which should allow people to  clearly see inside. This rule covers VVIPs as well). However, very few people are following the directive.

The traffic police said that the ban is on the films and not on the tints that are provided by the manufacturer.