Notification says vehicles on emergency and disaster management duties can use beacons in red, blue and white colours
Weeks after the Modi government decided to do away with colonial-era VIP practice of flaunting red beacon lights on VIP vehicles from May 1, the Union ministry of road, transport and highways has come out with a detailed notification in this regard. The notification states that vehicles on emergency and disaster management duties can use beacon lights in red, blue and white colours.
The emergency vehicles on duty will include those for maintaining law and order under the police, defence and paramilitary forces. Fire brigade and other vehicles relating to natural and man-made disaster management — including earthquake, cyclones, nuclear, chemical or biological disasters — would also be allowed to use multi-coloured red, blue and white lights, the notification stated.
"The multi-coloured light shall not be put to use when the vehicle is not on the designated duty," the notification issued in pursuance of powers conferred on the Central government under sub-rule 4 of rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, stated.
It mentioned that the transport department of the state or union territory administration will issue a notice every year, bringing a list of authorities to whom the permission to use the vehicles for fire and other emergency duties has been granted under duties, to the notice of the public.
It further mentioned that all such vehicles will have to display the sticker issued by the state or UT transport department on their windscreen, which would mention the state government or Union territory, designation of the officer and vehicle number.
It also mentioned that only one sticker shall be issued to the designated officer for a vehicle at a time. It said the sticker would be on security printed water mark paper and shall carry hologram as specified by the transport department concerned.
...& ANALYSIS
- Modi government perceives beacons on official vehicles as symbols of VIP culture, with no relevance in a democratic society.
- In his 31st Mann Ki Baat radio address too, the PM had commented that EPI (Every person is important) will replace VIP culture.
- The notification consolidates the view and has allowed only police, defence and emergency/disaster-management vehicles to use such beacons.
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