Even though traffic police personnel are serious about fining owners of four wheelers with sun control films following the Supreme Court’s directions, vehicle owners have resorted to innovative ways to dodge them.
While several owners have begun using window screens inside the windows after removing the dark films, a few others have resorted to putting up temporary sunshields (detachable car window sunshades).
“We were hugely inconvenienced after traffic police personnel tore the sun control films from my car. Since we live in scorching conditions, the air conditioner inside the vehicle takes much longer to cool if dark films are not used. Hence I resorted to using detachable sunshades,” said Mr Syed from Royappettah.
“We could not blame the police as they had heightened the vigil only after the Supreme Court’s direction. However, it has really affected our privacy, and we had no other option but to use the detachable sun shade, though it is not as comfortable as dark films” he added.
And several private van drivers ferrying software professionals have hung screens inside the vehicles.
“We have to protect women employees from the peeping toms while waiting at traffic signals. Putting up screens seems to have paid off,” said a private van driver who drives for a software firm.
When asked about the tactics of putting screens and temporary sunshades inside the cars, Additional Police Commissioner (Chennai traffic police) Sanjay Arora told this newspaper that there was no specific rule in the Motor Vehicles Act to prevent the use of screens inside the vehicles.
“Hence, we cannot do anything in this regard and I cannot comment on this further,” he said.