Indore: A Free Press story on how city buses were ignoring Supreme Court’s (SC) blanket ban on curtains, tinted glass and any other material blocking view inside the vehicles, has forced the Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AiCTSL ) running the buses to remove the advertisements blocking the rear windscreens.
The rear wind screen of city buses was covered in vinyl advertisements blocking the view and risking the safety of female passengers travelling in the bus.
Following the horrific Nirbhaya gang-rape case, SC in 2012, had prohibited the use of black films of any visual light transmission (VLT) or any other material (such as curtains or mesh) upon safety glass, window screens (whether front or rear) and side glass of all vehicles, irrespective of the percentage of visual light permitted or blocked, throughout the country.
Despite that, city buses in Indore had completely banned light transmission from rear window screens with large flex banners featuring advertisements. There are about one lakh commuters regularly travelling in city buses including about 40 percent women on a regular basis.
With such banners blocking the view, it posed a threat to women safety. Following the story and complaint filed by RTI activist Sanjay Mishra with divisional commissioner Akash Tripathi, Traffic Police and AiCTSL were forced to take action.
In his statement, AiCTSL CEO Sandeep Soni said, “If there is such a rule, as you informed, we will remove the advertisement. The advertisements are of ‘Swacch Bharat’ so it should not be a major issue to remove them.”
Tripathi issued a letter demanding an answer on the issue from chief executive officer AiCTSL Sandeep Soni. Further, as per proceedings, DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police) instructed the required traffic officers to get details.
Additional Superintendent (Traffic) Mahendra Kumar Jain also issued a notice to AiCTSL stating that that a case would be filed against the company if the advertisements are blocking the view. The buses would be charged under section 100 (2) of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
The rule states, “The glass of the wind screen and rear window of every motor vehicle shall be such and shall be maintained in such a condition that the visual transmission of light is not less than 70%.”
