Sorry, no exception even if you are a VVIP or a celebrity

Do you feel that you are a VVIP or a celebrity to be eligible for certain exemptions? But the State police, particularly the traffic cops of Hyderabad city, excuse themselves to let you off as far as using tinted glasses to your cars is concerned.

Several VIPs and celebrities in the city seem to believe that sunscreen films for their cars are allowed because of their social status. But traffic police feel otherwise. Clearly mentioning the Supreme Court guidelines that sunscreen to the glasses to their cars should be removed, the Hyderabad traffic police have launched an operation to impose fine to those who have not complied with the court order.

In the process, they have come across several VIPs and celebrities who sought exemption from the directive. But the police are firm and say that there is no compromise on the issue. Even some MLAs and IAS officers were fined when they were found traveling in cars with tinted glasses.

However, the apex court did give some relaxation to the rule, albeit for those who are covered under Z and Z+ category security. Even this exemption should be cleared by a committee, specially constituted for the purpose. The court itself has even named those who should form such committee. The Director General of Police (DGP) and the Home Secretary of the State concerned should form as members of the panel to clear such appeals. The exemption too is confined only to their official vehicles but not to their personal limousines, the Supreme Court has made it clear

Though the car owners have begun raising their voice that the time limit set was not sufficient to strictly comply with the order, the police officers did not budge. They have first started imposing a token amount of fine of Rs 100 on each vehicle found with tinted glasses and the fine amount was later raised to Rs 500. Once again there is no exception for this. Cars carrying even IAS officers, MLAs and film personalities were fined.

On Monday alone, the traffic police fined as many as 15 IAS officers for violating the court orders and issued challans to them. Tollywood famous director K Raghavendra Rao too was penalized for the breaking the order.

The police are also soft at times. No doubt they are not sparing the cars bearing the MLA sticker, but when the MLA was actually travelling by the car, the situation is a bit different. Certain ruling party legislators were found let off in the city. The police have their own compulsions after all, remarked a vehicle owner.

While the police continue the operation across the State and more vigorously in the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, the car owners too are found busy approaching their nearest decors shops to get the sun-film removed. But the darker side of the picture is that the removed film is dumped onto the main roads in heaps, which is causing a nuisance to the passers-by. This aspect too should be looked into.

- Siva@sakshipost