MLAs and bureaucrats can no longer flaunt it. Nor can an HC judge or even the police commissioner. Calcutta High Court on Friday laid down that only ambulances, fire tenders and police pilot cars can use flashing red beacons.
VIPs will have to be content with a simple red light fixed to the car's front grille.
A division Bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice K K Prasad has directed the state to enforce the rule "in letter and spirit".
The directive comes at a time when the state has submitted an affidavit seeking to include more names in the list of those entitled to use beacons.
The Bench passed the directive on a PIL filed by All India Minority Forum. Petitioners' counsel Idris Ali had submitted that the misuse of beacons was posing problems for traffic management. On February 2, the court had directed the state government to file a status report on this.
Advocate-general Balai Ray submitted that the transport secretary has drawn up several cases against the culprits.
But the court cited Rule 226 of the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and said: "There is no justification for allowing any vehicle to fix a red light on top unless it happens to be a police pilot car, ambulance or a fire brigade vehicle."
BY- TOI
