I don't use red beacon in my car, says Mamata

MP | 21 April 2017 | Kolkata: The decision of the Union Cabinet to remove beacons from all vehicles will not be of much significance in Bengal as most ministers including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee do not use the same in their vehicles.

"I don't use the red beacon in my car", Banerjee told reporters at the NSC Bose International Airport after her return from Bhubaneswar. 

In this connection, Banerjee said that apart from a few, no one travels in beacon-fitted cars in the state. Some use it while travelling on national highways though. 

The Chief Minister never used a beacon-fitted car and always travel in her private vehicle, which is a Santro, in the city. Following her, most of her Cabinet colleagues too do not travel in beacon-fitted cars.

According to most ministers, it is more important to travel in cars by following traffic norms than using a beacon fitted car. 

Though the state government is yet to receive any notification of the Centre in this connection, there would not be much trouble in Bengal to avoid using the beacon. 

 It is learnt that the Centre has decided to remove beacons from all vehicles from May 1 onwards to end the "VIP culture". Besides the red beacon, there are also certain parameters based on which one could use a blue beacon-fitted car. It has been stated that blue beacons could be used only in ambulances, vehicles of fire department and emergency vehicles. It can also be used in vehicles of anti-corruption cells of different investigating agencies.   

As per Section 26 of the Transport Act, there has to be a direction clearly stating that who can use beacon-fitted cars apart from vehicles of the fire service department and ambulances.

It may be mentioned that use of beacons on cars of Supreme Court and High Court judges doesn't come under any notification by the Centre or any state government.