CHENNAI: Two weeks after an intense crackdown, following a Madras High Court direction, bull bars and crash guards are back on official vehicles.
Violators include vehicles in chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s convoy and those allotted to top officials of central government agencies like the income tax department and Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.
A few days ago, when a car that was part of the chief minister’s convoy’s car met with a road accident near Tuticorin, a political party’s flag was seen fixed to the bull bar.
The court had earlier directed chief secretary K Shanmugam to take adequate steps to remove such extra fittings from cars of VIPs/VVIPs. Shanmugham wrote to all ministers, MLAs, secretaries and top officials to strictly follow the order, but violations continue unabated.
On Monday, TOI tried to cross-check the implementation status at BSNL Building on Greams Road in Nungambakkam, which accommodates several central government offices. Four of the 10 cars parked in the lobby had extra bumpers in the front. They included vehicles used by the director general of GST Intelligence, Chennai Zonal Office and deputy commissioner of the income tax department.
A senior central government official said they were government-contracted vehicles and not owned by the officials concerned. “The cab firm owners had been instructed to remove such bull bars and bumpers 15 days ago. They will now be removed in a day or two,” he said.
T Sadagopan, an activist involved with the transport sector, said politicians and government officials who should act as role models in this aspect are violating the rules over and over again. “First they should correct themselves. Moreover, these are not their personal vehicles. They have no right to fix such illegal fittings on cars which were procured and are maintained using taxpayers’ money,” he added.
Transport department sources said such bars are installed to fix flags so that they can seek exemption from paying toll fees or skipping queues in public places. The Union transport ministry had in 2017 barred such extra fittings as they prevent inflation of airbags during accidents.