[darklord]

NEW DELHI: In a bid to put an end to VIP culture, the government on Wednesday issued an order prohibiting the use of red beacons on all vehicles belonging to VIPs, ministers and lawmakers.

According to the new regulation which comes into force on May 1, only the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and the Speaker of Lok Sabha are exempt from the ban.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/58256916.cms

[sgiitk]

Excellent. End of the VIP culture may be on hand. I wonder what will some neta's who are addicted to the 'Lal batti' do. They may have withdrawal symptoms.

[crdi]

Hope the ban is for all the beacons, except for the excluded people and emergency services. Otherwise the babus are just going to change the beacon colour to blue or yellow or orange.

[autorahul]

Great move. Should never have been there in the first place. In India everything becomes a prestige item. Govt should also enforce HSRP number plates more strictly. See so many local netas with party symbol on their plates.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Excellent. End of the VIP culture may be on hand. I wonder what will some neta's who are addicted to the 'Lal batti' do. They may have withdrawal symptoms.

Not just netas, all their close and distant relatives too. Madam won't have Lal Batti waal gaadii to her shopping at the mall.

[DieselFan]

I see in the notification that emergency and enforement agency vehicles are exempt from this rule. SO most netas will have two police cars one ahead and one following their car with red light beacons.

If a rule is made in India the people find ways to circumvent the rule. Unfortunate but true.

[theredliner]

Sorry if I sound ignorant, but in what way does it help? Does it prevent a VIP from instructing the police to keep the roads clear by stopping other road users?

Just today, I saw hundreds of vehicles including an ambulance stopped in hot mid-day sun for 10-15 minutes on Old Madras Road to allow a good for nothing VIP convoy to pass.

[neeravnaik]

This is a good step in the right direction. Status related to the Lal Batti has to be removed. However this is going to be effective to the common man only if the whole escort and police bandobast system for ensuring traffic free passage to VIPs also is done away with.

Otherwise this will just remain a symbolic gesture at best

[dass]

A move in the right direction and couldn't have come at a better time as well. The true elimination test for the VIP culture is when no traffic is stopped anywhere for them to move around.

I always wondered why is the need for them move around on road so much. All of them have so much money, they should be flying around and the common man wouldn't be complaining as as much as we would when we are stopped for them.

[nishsingh]

I hope they also prohibit the use of red colour band on number plates of cars too. Usually, these red bands would have designations and ministries written as -

"Chairman, Department of XYZ"

or

"President, XYZ".


I had a good mind of putting up my own "Ordinary Citizen, Republic of India". numberplate

[Maverick1977]

This seems to be just another sham from the Govt. Below is the list of officials who use the Red Beacon lights:
-Governors
-Chief Ministers
-Chief Justice of High Courts.
-Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
-Deputy Chief Ministers
-Justice of High Courts
-State Cabinet Ministers

Now here comes the twist. The below mentioned 'dignitaries' use Blue beacons:

-Principal Secretary to Government
-Registrar General of High Court
-Director General of Police / commissioner of Police
-District & Session Judge
-Divisional Commissioner
-Inspector General of Police / Joint Commissioner of Police
-Deputy Inspector General of Police / Additional Commissioner of Police
-Additional District Judge
-Chief Judicial Magistrate & Other Judicial officer
-District Magistrate / Collector
-Senior Superintendent of Police / Superintendent of Police / Deputy Commissioner of Police
-Sub Divisional Magistrate
-Deputy Superintendent of Police / Assistant Commissioner of Police

Now its just not possible that a District Judge will have a Blue Beacon on his car where-as a High Court Judge will have to give up his Red Beacon. Easiest will be to simply move all to the Blue Beacon.

I have also seen so many cars without any lights on the roof but the very fact they had escort cars meant that they 'automatically' had the right of way and other mortals were simply told to move away or face their wrath.

[anachronix]

Does nothing to change the VIP culture here, I have cared less for cars with a red/blue beacon that follow me anyway.

The real change starts when the culture of blocking traffic for these so called VIPs to pass should first stop. At least for the state ministers!

[bigron]

Its a start but its not going to really dent the VIP culture. Fortunately or unfortunately I have been part of this culture for over 4 decade being born in a sarkari family so know a thing or two about how it works.
The idea that your car needs to pass through, can skip lanes, can stop traffic, can park anywhere needs to change red light or not.
The politicians in the state at least the cabinet and the CM is immune to such a notification because they will have police escort vehicles clearing way for them. So light or no light is not going to help. The bureaucrats are not going to be a happy lot but will still get by with their flags and 'Govt of ......' stickers on their sarkari cars. Same goes for heads of corporations and other quasi judicial organizations.
The worst hit will be the MLA's ,the CPS's or anybody who does not have a sarkari car or a sarkari gunman as their only claim to fame and survival is the amber/blue light atop their private cars. It is this last lot that is going to be sulking the most and hate this decision.
The judiciary ( SC/HC/DC) also needs to be brought into the fold but the Judges really really love their lal battis and I would not be surprised if they pass an order exempting themselves from the notification.
Coming to the Center, Delhi is a jungle with whose who of the Country residing. Again no Battis will not really make a lot of difference at the top level for both politicians and bureaucrats. The middle and the Junior level as it is were not entitled to sport one on their cars.
Oh,how I am waiting for all the action that is about to begin at our tolls.
In a country obsessed with the lal batti, it is a step in the right direction but in reality batti is not really a problem the idea that a batti makes you special needs to change.

[johy]

Only, the other day, I was on a very narrow street and this big white Scorpio with black tints was flashing his headlights at me and honking. He essentially wanted me to disappear into thin air. I looked and there was no Lal batti. In fact, there was no batti at all. But he had a flag. And he had a huge government of .... plate at the front of his vehicle.

So now tell me this. How will the removing of the Lal batti or blue beacon make any difference?

Next thing you will find is these so called VIPs using purple or white flashers.it is a sad state of affairs.

[john doe]

Saw a car double parked in Pune last year, messing up the traffic. No beacon, no special identification, looked like a regular civilian car.
Except for the Inspector's Cap placed on the dashboard! Now there's an impeccable way to throw your weight about!

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

Now here comes the twist. The below mentioned 'dignitaries' use Blue beacons.......

Now its just not possible that a District Judge will have a Blue Beacon on his car where-as a High Court Judge will have to give up his Red Beacon. Easiest will be to simply move all to the Blue Beacon.

It's all gone. Effective May 1st, only emergency services such as ambulances, fire engines, and police vehicles will be allowed to use blue lights. So no blue beacons either for the so called VIPs rushing to inaugrate something after postponing the real work to be done.

This is a good one!