The Supreme Court has directed all States to drastically restrict the number of VIPs using the red beacon in their cars and give the facility only to heads of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary and those holding constitutional posts.
A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and C. Nagappan gave the ruling on a writ petition from Abhay Singh. It directed the States to amend the Motor Vehicle Rules to restrict the use of the red beacon and impose an exemplary fine on those who misused it.
Tracing the origin of the red beacon during the British era, the Bench said: “What we have done in the last four decades would shock the most established political systems. The best example is the use of symbols of authority, including the red lights on the vehicles of public representatives from the lowest to the highest and civil servants of various cadres. The red lights symbolise power and the stark differentiation between those who are allowed to use them and the ones who are not. A large number of those using vehicles with red lights have no respect for the laws, and they treat the ordinary citizens with contempt. The use of red lights on the vehicles of public representatives and civil servants has perhaps no parallel in the world democracies.”
The Bench said, “The motor vehicles carrying ‘high dignitaries’ specified by the Central government and their counterparts specified by the States may be fitted with red lights, but the red lights with or without flasher can be used only when the specified high dignitary is on duty…”
Writing the judgment, Justice Singhvi said the States and the Union Territories “…cannot enlarge the scope of the term ‘high dignitaries’ beyond what is prescribed in clauses c and d of the January 11, 2002 and, July 28, 2005 notifications issued by the Central government.”
The Bench said, “The men in uniform; operational agencies that require unhindered access to roads to do their duty; those engaged in emergency duties such as ambulance services, fire services, emergency maintenance etc.,; and police vehicles used as escorts or pilots or for law and order duties shall not be entitled to red lights but lights of other colours such as blue and white, or multicoloured ones.”
“No motor vehicles, except those specified in Rule 119(3) of the 1989 Rules, or similar provisions contained in the rules framed by the State governments or the Administration of the Union Territories, shall be fitted with multi-toned horns giving a succession of different notes or with any other device giving out an unduly harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise.”
