The Supreme Court’s observation on Monday that the unauthorized usage of red/blue light beacons by VIPs is a serious violation and that it must be contained by the government is perhaps more than applicable to the capital as the usage of the beacons goes on unrestricted since the General Administration Department (GAD) is yet to issue orders after it had asked the Hyderabad traffic police to stop its special drive against the illegal use of beacons in 2011.
A senior police official informs Express that there are about 350 VIPs in the city who use either red or blue beacon on their vehicles.
“Of them, only 90 are permitted to use the lights, while the others are all illegal,” he says, adding that the unauthorised usage of the beacons is a big security issue in the city.
“The attack on Parliament occurred because the terrorists were able to find their way in as their car had a beacon. Who is to say that tomorrow someone else may get a beacon and enter a government office here?” the official asked. The Supreme Court warned the central government that in case new rules were not formulated to keep this problem under check, the court itself would make decisions on the matter.
As per Rule 313 of the Andhra Pradesh Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the vehicle of the governor and vehicles escorting the governor’s car, chief secretary to the government, director-general of police, chief justice and judges of the High Court, Lokayukta, chairman of the AP Administrative Tribunal and vice-chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal are allowed red light on top of their vehicles. As per Rule 314 of the AP Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the chief minister, all ministers, chairman of the state planning board, speaker and deputy of the legislative Assembly, and chairman and vice-chairman of the legislative Council are permitted to use blue light on top of their vehicles.
But the rules also state that if the vehicle is travelling without the dignitaries, then the light should not be used and must be covered in black. Even Army officials misuse the beacons to negotiate traffic in the city.
