Supreme Court asks Centre and State Governments to Restrict the use of Red Beacon (Lal Batti) on Vehicles

The Supreme Court of India have asked the Centre and State Governments to reduce the use of red beacons (lal batti) vehicles to give free movement to the common man.

"Use of beacon on government and private vehicles should be drastically restricted so that right of freedom of movement of people is not affected," the court said.

These days having a red beacon on the vehicle is considered as a status symbol. The Hon'ble Supreme Court said, "Status is enhanced not by traveling in red beacon vehicles but by work done by them (people)."

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi, have suggested the centre as well as state governments to make such provisions in the law that least number of vehicles should be allowed to use the red beacons, so that common man have to bear less inconvenience.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by an Uttar Pradesh resident on misuse of beacon in the state. Further, the court has said that it will decide on the next date whether to impose hefty fine amounts on misuse of red beacons.

The bench has said that beacons and sirens should be used only on ambulance, fire services vehicle, police and army vehicles.

Further it would be worth to mention here that court has strongly disapproved the police protections given to MP's and MLA's who are not facing any security threat in an earlier proceeding. The court has also directed the centre and state governments to name of the persons who have been given such security and the expenditures that have been spent on them.