[Irish]

The Delhi Traffic Police is going to change the way to handle the repeated offenders for tinted glasses, defective number plates and pressure horns. Earlier the offenders used to pay just a fine of Rs 100 for such offences and never paid attention towards taking the corrective actions.

But now the Delhi Traffic Police will take either the registration certificate or their driving licence of the offender along with the usual Rs 100 challan. A notice will be issued to the offender by the traffic personnel and the offender will have to report to the area traffic inspector where the violation was recorded within 72 hours for inspection of their vehicle. If the directions (for which he / she was booked) are not followed, the matter will be forwarded to the court.

Hope that the traffic rules defaulters in Delhi will start taking corrective actions with in 72 hours now.

NEW DELHI: Despite numerous drives launched by the traffic police, cars with tinted glass can be regularly spotted on the roads of the capital. The fine of Rs 100 is hardly a deterrent. This poses a serious challenge to law and order - nothing is visible inside. Not surprisingly, in many major crimes, particularly against women, such cars have proved to be quite handy.
The traffic police, however, is promising to give the violators a very tough time. It's launching a drive on Thursday against tinted glass and car owners not sticking to the percentage of tint that's allowed will have to hand in either their registration certificate or their driving licence along with the usual Rs 100 challan slapped on defaulters. "A notice will be issued to them by the traffic personnel and the defaulter will have to report to the area traffic inspector where the violation was recorded within 72 hours for inspection of their vehicle. If the directions are not followed, the matter will be forwarded to the court," explained joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg. At present, there should be at least 70% transparency in the front and rear windows and 50% transparency on the side windows.

The same directive will also apply to those using vehicles with defective numberplates and pressure horns, said the cops. "Usually, since the fine is just a meagre Rs 100, which is nothing compared to the money spent on films (ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 14,000 for the more fancy ones that protect from UV rays), it is not enough of a deterrent. We hope that the stricter action will make the defaulters mindful of the rules," said a senior traffic officer.

In the first six weeks of the year, 20,000 vehicles were booked for tinted glass, significantly more than the 1500-odd such prosecutions last year during the same period. "Significantly, a major of these were repeat offenders, showing that despite being caught, Delhiites are mostly unmindful of the rules," said a senior traffic officer.

The "Rules of Road Regulations, 1989", framed by the central government under section 118 of the Motor Vehicle act states that, "a driver of a motor vehicle and every other person using the road shall obey every direction given, whether by signal or otherwise, by a police officer or any authorized person for the time being in charge of the regulation of traffic." Under the rule, even a traffic constable has the power to issue the notice to the defaulter, claimed traffic cops.

Tinted glass in vehicles have been a major source of concern for women's security as well as criminal activities. Delhi Police had earlier sent a proposal to the Union home ministry to amend the Motor Vehicle Act for enhancing fines on use of tinted glass. While Delhi Traffic Police is currently in the process of acquiring machines to test the percentage of tint, they claim that defaulters usually are aware that they were not following the regulations. "Usually, we can easily tell if the thickness of the glass is more than the permissible limit. However, if anyone contests the claim, we will send the matter to court. However, the prosecutions that have taken place this year have not been contested by the vehicle owners," said a senior traffic officer.

Tinted glasses have been known to be used by several criminals especially during rape and murder. Whether it was the murder case of IT executive Jigeesha or the infamous Dhaula Kuan and Mayapuri rape incidents, cars with tinted glass have been brazenly used.

Source: Tinted glass violators won?t get away easily now - The Times of India

Cheers!
Irish

[CoolFire]

Very good move, indeed. If they can do it successfully, it could be replicated by other states too. There is no point in fining Rs.100 for such offences these days.

Rs. 100 wont even buy you a decent meal! People who use opaque films and horrible number plates wont mind paying a few 100s once in a while. Corrective action is the best solution.

[download2live]

Originally Posted by Irish

But now the Delhi Traffic Police will take either the registration certificate or their driving licence of the offender along with the usual Rs 100 challan.

Nice on paper. But in reality will the traffic police have guts to take licence of spoilt kids of civil servants/Politicians/Business Men?

Dream on.

However I do hope that some effect of this law is there. I am tired of reading "Rapes in cars with tinted glass" stories in TOI.

[Sowmya]

Good to see the corrective action has been proposed. It should be implemented in all places not only in Delhi.

I wish the action should be taken Immediately. Like ask the driver to remove the tainted glass immediately on the spot. It may be harsh but this can teach a lesson to the offender. I remember those day in SIKIM where the security guard used to pull off the dark SunFilm in middle of the road

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by download2live

Dream on.

+1 to that. All these new rules & regulations are created just for the police officers to extort more money from the common man while the criminal elements roam free. I really pray that the cops enforce it with responsibility cause the menace of highly tinted glasses is very much there.

@Sowmya: Couple of years back, when a blanket ban on tinted glasses was introduced in Delhi, the cops indeed used to remove the sun films on the spot.

[dr_anurag]

This is a welcome move from the Delhi police. Hope it is implemented in letter as well as in spirit not only in Delhi but rest of the country as well. Another related issue that needs looking into is the covering of face by 2 wheeler riders, supposedly as a sun shield. Criminals like chain snatchers are having a field day and they cannot be identified.

[rajushank84]

Somewhere I think our traffic police have their priorities all wrong. License plates and tinted glasses are NOT the top causes of accidents. Driving without keeping a distance, tailgating, sudden lane changes and jaywalking are. Without addressing (or even acknowledging) that these are the top issues, I think the police are addressing what should probably be on the tail end of the priority list.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying these things are not important. Just that there are other things to be addressed first.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by download2live

Nice on paper. But in reality will the traffic police have guts to take licence of spoilt kids of civil servants/Politicians/Business Men?

Originally Posted by lordofgondor

+1 to that. All these new rules & regulations are created just for the police officers to extort more money from the common man while the criminal elements roam free. I really pray that the cops enforce it with responsibility cause the menace of highly tinted glasses is very much there.

Delhi Traffic Police is planning to start a special drive to implement this. Initially, it will be during off peak hours, then it may be introduced in the peak hours also. During the special drives, its very difficult to use the influence of some other person in front of delhi traffic police. If the offender himself is a VIP then it's a separate issue.

Anyways, it is going to reduce the number of repetitive offenders on Delhi roads.

Cheers!
Irish

[.anshuman]

They want to deter public from violating the laws by causing inconvenience to them. Earlier one had an option to pay the fine on the spot or leave it to be contested in the court but now they have made it mandatory to pay the fine in the Police station within 72 hours or case will transferred to Court. It not only waste Offender's time but also they will have to deploy additional staff in Police Stations(they already lack enough manpower) and in cases the case is transferred to court(Millions of serious cases already pending in the courts), the court's time will be wasted too.

Instead the Traffic Police should asked the concerned authorities to increase the fine for the listed offences.

[anekho]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Somewhere I think our traffic police have their priorities all wrong. License plates and tinted glasses are NOT the top causes of accidents. Driving without keeping a distance, tailgating, sudden lane changes and jaywalking are. Without addressing (or even acknowledging) that these are the top issues, I think the police are addressing what should probably be on the tail end of the priority list.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying these things are not important. Just that there are other things to be addressed first.

+1.

They're trying to cure the symptoms instead of the real problem.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

License plates and tinted glasses are NOT the top causes of accidents.

Tinted Glasses and Defective Number Plates surely are not the top causes for Accidents, but the criminals use them for Crimes like Rape, Abduction etc

[Irish]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Somewhere I think our traffic police have their priorities all wrong. License plates and tinted glasses are NOT the top causes of accidents. Driving without keeping a distance, tailgating, sudden lane changes and jaywalking are. Without addressing (or even acknowledging) that these are the top issues, I think the police are addressing what should probably be on the tail end of the priority list.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying these things are not important. Just that there are other things to be addressed first.

Originally Posted by anekho

+1.
They're trying to cure the symptoms instead of the real problem.

There have been instances when snatchers used a car with siren and red beacon as well.

Just a couple of months back, Police 2 snatchers with a Honda Accord bearing a RED beacon. After committing a crime, they used to place a red beacon on a car (often a stolen one), switch on the hooter and rush through the city traffic and police check posts within the city and on the Delhi border posing as VIPs. Please read the full story here:

When robbers travelled in car with red beacon#

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Tinted Glasses and Defective Number Plates surely are not the top causes for Accidents, but the criminals use them for Crimes like Rape, Abduction etc

+1 to that. If this is controlled then crime can also be minimized. Who will dare to do a crime in a moving car which doesn't have the tints?

[sgiitk]

Why only the spoilt kids. What about the even more spoilt netas and babus. Tinted glass, full curtains, and the lot abound.

[Dry Ice]

Rules and more rules! What is required is the relentless enforcement of the rules without any exceptions.

During the special drives, the whole emphasis is on getting the figures, hence we see a spike in the number of challans. Once things cool down, its back to square one!

[Anandg]

Some cents from my side:
1) We need to address this issue from the roots. None of our school books teaches children basics of road manners. They dont even know how to cross the road!
2) Follow suspension of license rule as implemented in US for repeat offenders.
3) Publish important traffic rules alternate day in newspapers like a weather column.
4) Rules are rules and no mercy should be given to any one.
5) Repeat Offenders should be given punishment like manning a signal for the entire day under supervision of a cop so that he understands the rules by heart.
6) Cops breaking rules / taking bribe esp. important ones should be suspended for a week. And their acts should be punished by court itself.
7) Every major junction and private / public company parking lots should have a traffic rule board visible to all people instead of birthday posters of political leader and their sycophants and boot lickers.
8) Major TV channels should be given a mandate to show traffic rules and basic civic sense in prime time instead of sleazy ads atleast once or for few seconds.

People should understand their duties first before they fight for their rights.