BANGALORE: Private transport vehicles sporting government stickers, flags and sometimes, even beacons are being seen increasingly in the city nowadays. These are usually vehicles which have been hired to ferry officials of government departments or public sector companies and as a result, end up carrying government vehicle stickers or flags of the department or sometimes even beacons. This practice, however, has not gone down well with officials in the Transport Department. Transport Commissioner T Shyam Bhat had issued a notification in June asking all the departments to stop using flags and beacons on hired vehicles. The notification stated that this was a contravention of the Motor Vehicles Act and that it was grounds for punitive action. However, this notification seems to have been brushed aside by many departments as they still continue to carry official signs on their hired vehicles. The reason: if the official is using the car, there is no grounds for denying the rights accorded on the grounds that it is a private vehicle. “We use these vehicles as they are perfect to discuss important matters without the worry of it being leaked out,” said an official on the condition of anonymity. “No punitive action has been taken yet against such vehicles, it is, however, currently illegal to do so,” said Shyam Bhat while adding that the government was considering a move to stop the purchase of vehicles entirely and to just hire private taxis instead. “If that decision is taken we will have to reconsider the rules,” he added.
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