In order to review the ban on using tinted films on cars, the newly assembled Car Owners and Consumers' Association (COCA) is planning to file a petition in the Supreme Court (SC). Advocate Padma Prasad Hegde will file the petition when the court opens after vacation. He stated that court did not hear the views of other parties involved and banned the tinted film on the basis of a PIL filed by Avishek Goenka. While passing the order, the apex court did not consider the huge number of customers who use these films. Goenka said, “The matter should have been given wide publicity before passing the order.”
Tinted films are a necessity in areas like coastal regions with high temperature, as they reduce the heat and improve cooling efficiency. Moreover, the absence of tinted films takes up more resources to cool down the car. Goenka added, “Moreover, we are not asking for dark tints, but within the permissible limits of the Motor Vehicle Act.”
A panel consisting Chief Justice S. H. Kapadia and Justices A. K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar considered the limits prescribed in the Motor Vehicles Act. They, then, passed a law saying anything beyond the Visual Light Transmission (VLT) limit of 70 per cent for the front and rear wind shields and 50 per cent for the side windows is an offence. Hegde finds it unreasonable to ban the usage of tint film where the VLT between the manufactured glass and tint film is same. He said, “Not all can afford manufactured glass which costs a packet.”
Goenka stated in his PIL that cars with black films on their windows are the means for the criminals to commit crimes like sexual assault on women. This led to the ban on the usage of these sun films in the country. However, Hegde said, “We want to place all facts on record before the court.”
President, COCA, Mukesh Hegde, said, “Barring safety glass on all cars is unreasonable, only high end cars came with tinted glass. Tinted films are affordable by all and within VLT should be allowed.”
