Ludhiana: City youths are shocked at the decision of the Union government to instruct state governments to take stern action against crash guards or
bull bars on motor vehicles. These guards or bull bars cause serious safety concerns to pedestrians as well as the occupants of the vehicle as a result of which the Union government has asked states to take action against unauthorised fitting of these items. However, youths are peeved at the move adding they are used as an accessory and the bull bars are usually fixed in front of a car to guard the bumper, radiator, and headlights.
Speaking to TOI, Anhad Singh , a resident of Model Town, said "I think bull bars and crash guards shouldn't be banned since they act as a safety guard for vehicles."
"The crash guards create inappropriate impact during an accident that leads to the air bag not opening properly and hence poses a threat to the driver's safety," says Harsimran Singh, A resident of Civil Lines.
"I think the government should make arrangements for car safety before imposing such bans. If they are banning use of crash guards for safety concerns then what about the safety of our cars?" asked Awal Singh Gandhi, a resident of Barewal.
Some residents are of the view that the ban does not make any sense. "I don't think the ban of crash guard makes any sense. I have not heard of any fatal accident because of crash guards. Instead of dealing with such minor issues, the government should look into major issues like recession in the market," said Kuwar Singh, a resident of Sarabha Nagar.
However sharing details about the new law, Gurdev Singh, ACP, Ludhiana traffic police said, "A challan is being issued in routine for usage of guards. This challan is only for LMVs and XUVs like Innova. Heavy motor vehicles like tractors do not come under these rules."
Speaking to TOI, Tarlochan Singh, Assistant Transport officer Ludhiana said, "The main reason behind banning these bars is safety concerns of the people and it is also illegal to put these bull bars in front of the vehicle. These bars are fitted in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which prescribes a fine of Rs 1,000 for the driver for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for second or subsequent offences while the penalty for seller or deliverer could be Rs 5,000."
